Remembering: Gratefulness & Grief
Praying for the living, honoring the deceased; the turmoil of faith in real life and giving witness to the beautiful Elham Farah, a gifted Palestinian Christian in Gaza
Saint Paul wrote to salty Christians in Colosse while he was in prison; he sought to inspire them to not give up on Christ Jesus, to not despair amidst the difficult family situations they faced or the unbearable political and religious oppression they all were enduring.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.
His remembering is more than nostalgic; the comfort of the past is not due to everything turning out like a Hallmark movie. Paul’s grievous imprisonment of the body can’t keep his spirit from soaring in gratitude for those he loves, he chooses to pray in hope and joy precisely BECAUSE of his difficult circumstances.
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
The kingdom of light, ah, when will it come?
Each sunrise can be a reminder to give thanks for life, to give thanks for the deceased whom we loved, to surrender to the Spirit of Christ that gives understanding and great endurance to the turbulent difficulties of our life - a life often marked by deep gratefulness mixed with constant grief.
In these dark days of war in the Holy Land my mind continues to ache in solidarity with my YMCA colleagues there; the atrocities borne by Jews, Christians, and Muslims instill despair and deep sorrow. With each sunrise, may we keep praying for all who suffer in Palestine and Israel, that they would be filled with the Spirit of God…
When Jesus instructs us to be “the salt of the earth” we ought to have spirited women and men who rise up to mind, who we envision, who we learn to remember, who inspire us. This can include your family that has deceased but lives on in your heart, older friends and neighbors who were part of your life, and even heroes of the faith. These days I think of Ghada, of the Armenian Church in the Old City of Jerusalem, and of Elham Farah in Gaza.
My friend Ghada, a Palestinian Christian living in East Jerusalem and a friend of the YMCA, keeps me attuned to the dark challenges people are facing in the Holy Land. One particular story was of Israeli settlers trespassing on the Armenian Church property in the Old City. The pressure against our brothers and sisters in Christ is unrelenting.
She then shared with me the obituary of a beautiful Christian soul, Elham Farah, a Palestinian Christian woman from Gaza gunned down by a sniper from the Israeli Defense Force. The dominion of darkness deepens its despair amongst the people of the land. Everyone weeps now: Jewish families for those kidnapped by Hamas, Christian and Muslim families killed by IDF, for all caught in the cross-hairs of revenge.
Our geographical distance from the suffering compels us to be diligent about remembering our friends, our fellow believers, and our fellow humans who are enduring the darkness of vengeful violence. This requires us to pay attention, to pray in our soul, to mourn with those who mourn, and then deepen our hope in the One who has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and redeemed us through the forgiveness of sins.
In the United States, the Thanksgiving Season and Christmas Season are upon us. Instead of focusing too much on nostalgic family gatherings, or the dysfunction around the holiday table, as people of God we can participate in this prayer of Paul, especially as we bring to mind Christians who are suffering around the world as we gather in our homes this season:
…praying…so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father…
Here is the compelling obituary Ghada shared with me for beautiful Elham. In reading this eulogy of suffering and injustice, may it prompt prayers for her family, for all the suffering families of the Holy Land, and renewed surrender to the Spirit of God to bear good fruit with great endurance full of joy in the difficult circumstances of your everyday life:
Who is Elham Farah? By Amal Abdallah
Who is Elham Farah? Friend, daughter, sister, aunt, teacher, musician, Christian, Palestinian, human, person. These are but a few words that describe who Elham Farah was. Elham was a petite lady with a hat on her head, glasses on her face, and a purse that never left her shoulder.
Elham Farah was a Palestinian woman—born and raised in Gaza. She is the youngest daughter of the well-known Palestinian poet Hanna Dahdah Farah. The Farah family is one of the oldest Christian families in Gaza, tracing their origins back to the Ghassanid Arabs, who were eminent in Gaza Between the 4th and 7th centuries AD.
The Farah family have roots in this city and are famous for their knowledge and literature. Like the rest of the women in her family, Elham was educated and talented. She was strong-willed and adventurous.
Elham served her community by becoming the very first music teacher in Gaza’s educational system. She was one of the few people who could hold any instrument and play it beautifully. Her favorite instrument was the accordion; if you knew her, you’ll remember her joyful expression as she played.
While she was a teacher, she played music for her students every morning. She would use her father’s poems and write music to them, making a new song to teach her students.
Elham loved Gaza. She loved its people. She was a giving and loving person. She used to give to those in need despite her own limited means. She loved to be surrounded by people, especially her family, whether close or distant. Elham used her musical talent to serve the Lord and his people by playing worship music at the church.
Elham lived by herself in a small apartment and took care of herself until her last breath. She had survived many wars, yet she described the current war in Gaza as the worst thing she’d ever experienced.
For almost a month, Elham took shelter in one of only two churches still standing in Gaza along with hundreds of others to avoid shelling, crossfire, and shrapnel.
Elham never stayed in one place for too long. She always traveled, constantly scheduling new adventures on her calendar. Her adventurous and strong-willed side, however, could no longer handle staying inside locked doors.
She insisted on leaving the church to check on her home and breathe fresh air. She needed to get a jacket, and make sure that her home was still standing and not destroyed.
Through the gift of her strong faith she comforted those around her asking them not to worry and confessing that Jesus Christ would be with her wherever she went. On November 12, 2023, Elham walked from the church to her home, but as she arrived at her building, a sniper was on the apartment’s roof and shot her in the leg.
When neighbors in the area saw Elham lying on the side of the road, they tried to go to her to offer aid, but they were shot at, too. The neighbors were unable to help Elham.
A short time after she was initially injured, the neighbors were able to get in touch with Elham’s family to inform them what had happened. After several unsuccessful phone call attempts, Elham’s niece was finally able to get through to her.
In that conversation, Elham described the severe pain she was experiencing and said that she’d been calling for help for hours without any aid. She expressed that she could no longer feel her leg thinking that it had been amputated from the rest of her body. Her niece told her, “Auntie Elham, if it were amputated you would have bled to death by now. Rest your head. It is getting dark. We will try to get someone to you by the morning.” Elham responded, “Okay, I just put my head on the sidewalk. I will be waiting here.”
Elham’s family tried desperately to contact the Red Cross or anybody else who could go to her aid. Unfortunately, nobody could go. Elham was left bleeding out on the side of the road.
She took her last breath, reposing in the Lord on November 13, 2023. Elham’s last words were, “Pray for me; I am dying.”
Auntie Elham, your crescendoing call for help turned into an echo on the shores of Gaza.
The world lost a beautiful soul, and now you are playing music to all those who lost their lives in the same way you did.
In Gaza you were born and in Gaza may you eternally be laid to rest.
We will never forget the sound of your accordion. We will never forget your last words. We love you and miss you.
You can click here or on image below to watch and listen to an obituary for Elham Farah shared by her great-niece:
This all reframes my reading and reflecting upon this prayer of Saint Paul to the struggling Christians in Colosse and to us where we struggle in our communities. I also think of Elham and her family of Palestinian Christians in Gaza as they weep and mourn, of the Armenian Church as they strive for justice and protection, of Ghada and Tewfic and the YMCAs of the Holy Land:
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
[Saint Paul to the Christians in Colosse, 1.9-14]
In Christ we can be salty where we live, through the forgiving of sins; we can be spirited, bearing the fruit of redemption in the world rescued by Christ, the Son God loves.
This can transform our Thanksgiving, our remembering, and our grief. This is also the real reason for Christmas: in Bethlehem, in Palestine, in Israel, in America, in the world.