BLOOD BROTHERS
Blood Brothers
The Unforgettable Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel
by Elias Chacour with David Hazard
Published by Chosen books — copyright 1984
Besides my honeymoon to Tahiti and a couple of trips across the borders to Canada and Mexico for vacations, at the age of 36, I had not really been outside of the USA — let alone to the Middle East. Then, in June of 2001, I made my way to the country of Lebanon on a “mission trip”. I traveled with a small group of people from our church at the time which also included my husband and our two eldest children ages 8 and 10. In preparation for this trip to Lebanon, I read this book.
Blood Brothers was relevant in 2001, and, in my opinion, this book is still relevant today. The book tells a true story that much of today’s media doesn’t tell and our general American culture has very little understanding of or can’t see. Today’s continuing events and atrocities in Palestine and Israel have a very long history that has usually been created, shaped and told by outsiders.
The author, Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian, (Yes, those two words can go together.) was a young adolescent in Palestine, and this is his story (an insider) of what life was like pre-1948, post 1948, and his continued life of seeking peace in this complicated land with a complex history.
I have found that most of life is lived in the in-betweens, the nuance, the complexities, the down deep…
When my kids were little children we used to play this game, simply titled… “The Opposite Game”. It was so easy to play when we were still at the table after a meal, while we waited for something, while driving in the car… you get the picture. The goals — develop vocabulary, investigate the connections between words, have fun, and sometimes even distract or avoid impending chaos. At some point, our kids began to see the complexities as well as the connections between words. Binary, either-or, opposite thinking is necessary and foundational for little ones — and then, as they grow older — it’s time for the adults to provide them the space, time, and resources for exploring their curiosities around complexities and nuances. Unfortunately, that doesn’t usually happen…
For me, reading Blood Brothers introduced me to pieces of history I had not been exposed to growing up. It provided windows into the complexities that are still reverberating through Palestine and Israel today. As outsiders, how we view the peoples, the governments, what is being done to and in this complicated land today, and how we speak about these atrocities really matters. We are no longer little children with the luxury of binary thinking playing in a game of opposites.
Elias Chacour writes personally, historically, professionally and from a perspective informed by solid research and the experience of living in the land. I highly recommend reading this book! I was challenged as American and as a Christian in my unconscious biases and personal understandings about Palestinians, Palestine and the 1948 created country of Israel. Even though I read Blood Brothers twenty-three years ago, it has continued to help me see with eyes of compassion as I try to sit with today’s inhumane treatment and ongoing acts of brutality.
