A Christmas Cry for Gaza and Justice, Rev. Naim Ateek

This Christmas, while streets around the world glitter with lights and choirs prepare joyful hymns, Gaza lies in ruins. There are no decorations here, no trees, no carols—only rubble, shattered lives, and the cries of those who mourn. The people of Gaza dream not of gifts but of bread, clean water, and warmth.

As the world celebrates, Gaza bleeds. Injustice reigns, and the silence of those who could act is deafening. Yet, in the face of this devastation, we remember the birth of Christ—not in splendor but in a humble manger, in a land under occupation. Jesus was born to a people who suffered, a people longing for freedom. His birth was a declaration: God stands with the oppressed.

This Christmas, we echo the cries of the people of Gaza: for justice, for dignity, for the world to see their humanity. We remember the mothers holding their children close as bombs fall, the fathers searching for scraps of hope, and the children dreaming of safety. Gaza’s suffering is not fate—it is the consequence of policies, of silence, and of a global failure to uphold justice.

And yet, even in this bleakness, we cling to the promise of Christ. The Prince of Peace was born into a world of violence to bring liberation to the captives and good news to the poor. His coming reminds us that faith without justice is empty and that peace cannot exist without the dismantling of oppression.

This Christmas, let us not turn away. Let us stand with Gaza, with Palestine, and with all who cry out for justice. Let us proclaim that true Christmas joy comes not from lights or gifts, but from the pursuit of peace and the affirmation that every human life is sacred.

Rev. Naim Ateek

Chair of the Sabeel General Assembly