A Palestinian Story of Hope and Resilience with Mercy Aiken - ATD Book Club

About this episode

Mercy Aiken shares her experiences and insights on Palestinian Christians and the impact of education in the Holy Land.

To join Across the Divide’s book club, become part of our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AcrosstheDivide In this conversation, Jen Maidrand sits down with Mercy Aiken, a storyteller and advocate whose work serves as a vital bridge between the West and the Holy Land. Mercy shares the deeply moving journey of co-authoring Yet in the Dark Streets Shining : A Palestinian Story of Hope and Resilience in Bethlehem with Bishara Awad, the founder of Bethlehem Bible College. Through the lens of Bishara’s life—marked by displacement, faith, and an unwavering commitment to education—Mercy discusses the unique challenges faced by Palestinian Christians and the profound impact of the Bible College on the local community. We explore the weight of telling such a significant story, the shifts in perspective since October 7th, and Mercy’s enduring hope for a future rooted in empathy rather than fear. Mercy Aiken is a cross-cultural advocate, storyteller, and peacebuilder dedicated to fostering empathy and understanding in the Middle East. With years of experience living and working in Palestine and Israel, she serves as a bridge-builder between Eastern Christians, Muslims, and…

People in this episode

Host: Jen Maidrand

Guest: Mercy Aiken

Topics covered

• Palestinian Christians
• hope and resilience
• storytelling
• education
• cross-cultural advocacy
• Middle East

Keywords

• Palestinian story
• resilience
• Bishara Awad
• Bethlehem
• cross-cultural
• empathy
• education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bethlehem Bible College

Books & works: Yet in the Dark Streets Shining

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