By Daniel Corado –
Before the ceasefire, the Christian community in Gaza was struggling to survive amid the barrage of bullets and bombs. Of the original 1,000, only 260 were left hiding in shelters, according to news reports. The rest left Gaza as refugees.
Most of the Gazan Christians belong to either the Roman Catholic Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church. Only a few dozen are evangelical.
“We’re about at a quarter of what numbers we were before the war began,” says Joel Rosenberg the co-founder of All Israel News and All Arab News. “If there’s an opportunity to flee, God gives you the green light. That’s not cowardice.”
An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15)
One troubling trend is that while some Christians return, they are finding their homes are being occupied by Muslim squatters.
The Christians have struggled with basic needs like food and water, Rosenberg says.
“The early months of the war were so hard, it was almost impossible to get supplies, food, water and medical help to those churches because the fighting was so intense,” he says.
The good news is this: between 200 and 300 Gazans have turned from Islam to Christ during the conflict., Rosenberg says.
“I’m praying for a great spiritual awakening in Gaza,” he says.
