Tanas Alqassis and Joseph Steinberg
(Photo: © Jeremy Woodham/CMS)
Only Jesus can bring true reconciliation say Tanas Alqassis and Joseph Steinberg
Recorded in Glasgow, 5 Oct 2008
Listen now
Part 1 - the Palestinian experience 10:03min 9.2MB
Part 2 - biblical reflection 29:04min 26.6MB
Part 3 - practical experience of reconciliaiton in Israel-Palestine 15:34min 14.2 MB
Part 4 - so what, now what? 14:46min 13.5MB
“I was raised with a mistrust of Arabs,” says Joseph Steinberg, CMS’s Director of Fundraising and Marketing, who happens to be Jewish.
So what is he doing with a best friend called Tanas Alqassis, a Palestinian who was raised being persecuted by Israelis?
“Tanas and I can talk about anything,” says Joseph. “We don’t agree on everything - there are real issues on both sides - but we agree on the core thing - sharing Jesus.
For Joseph and Tanas, “Sharing Jesus, changing lives” is not a strapline, it’s a way of life.
That’s why recently people have been gathering around the country to hear them talk about their message of reconciliation - how sharing Jesus leads to true justice.
“I am always tempted to get passionately dogmatic over Jewish issues but because Jesus comes first I choose the way of peace. Tanas and I can sometimes have heated arguments,” he admits, “but when we pray together and listen to each other we find we have more in common than we ever thought.”
One Pentecostal church pastor shared how the meeting had “brought people together in understanding”. A Baptist minister said, “I have been waiting for this meeting my whole life. It has been a great blessing.”
Joseph and Tanas are open to invitations - why not get the different denominations in your town together to hear the message? They are also excited about their next big venture - the Ride of Reconciliation. “Tanas and I want to raise the profile of our message by riding our motorcycles from London to Jerusalem. We want people to ask, ‘How can this Jew and this Palestinian be riding side by side into Jerusalem as best friends?’”
Watch this space!
More audio resources