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Over hundreds of years, Sami El-Yousef’s ancestors have participated in the Holy Fire procession, carrying a banner representing one of the 13 oldest Christian Orthodox families in Jerusalem.

Father Issa Thaljieh can’t imagine living anywhere but the place where Jesus was born. He has been a Greek Orthodox parish priest at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem for a decade.

As Eid Jahaleen takes in the beautiful view in his Bedouin community of Khan El Ahmar, he reflects on many aspects he loves about his life.

For Samira Dajani-Budeiri, the very soil on which she stands in Sheikh Jarrah is sacred. Her home and the ground on which it stands is wrapped in memories of her parents, her neighbors—and her wish to live in peace and dignity.

The following feature story is part of a series that continues this year’s Easter Initiative, which offers a glimpse into the daily lives of Palestinians, Muslims and Christians, living in and around Jerusalem, some of the challenges they face, and what gives them hope. The concept of sacredness underscores these stories. Below, Sheikh Maher Assaf’s story, set in Bethlehem, speaks to the sacredness of worship, and how freedom of religion is key to achieving peace.

The following feature story is part of a series that begins this year’s Easter Initiative, which will offer a glimpse into the daily lives of Palestinians, Muslims and Christians, living in and around Jerusalem, some of the challenges they face, and what gives them hope. The concept of sacredness underscores these stories. Below, Yacoub Rajabi’s story speaks to the sacredness of human dignity—and the sacredness of life itself.

During his visit to Iran, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca visited the city of Qom, considered by Shia Muslims to be the second-most sacred city in Iran. The city is famous for the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh.

During a public lecture at the Ahlul Bayt International University in Iran, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca reflected on how we can improve human relations in the post-COVID-19 era.

After heads of churches in the Holy Land voiced their objections to a proposal to expand Jerusalem Walls National Park to include property owned by several churches in the city, Israel's Nature and Parks Authority announced on 21 February that it was backing down from the plan.

A recent webinar, “Voices from Bethlehem: Christian Unity in the Birthplace of Jesus,” organized by the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome and the Methodist Liaison Office Jerusalem, offered a discussion of the importance of Christian unity in contemporary times in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus.

One hundred and thirty Jewish volunteers planted 400 olive trees last week in Palestinian villages, continuing their work even following at least one violent attack.

Women of faith who are African or of African descent held a powerful recent gathering, “Ubuntu: Remembrance, Diversity, and Advocacy in Unity Now!” in which they shared their call to action with a sense of Sankofa, or a season of now while looking back and forward. The event was organized by the Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network (PAWEEN) and Pan African Women of Faith (PAW).