Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church of Clarkston received some special guests last week.
Pastor Ibrahim Azar and his family, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, spent part of their four week vacation in the United States sharing faith with their companion congregation here in Clarkston.
In addition to the Azar family’s trip this summer, the relationship resulted in two groups from Calvary visiting Azar’s church in Jerusalem and the exchange of signed banners between the two churches.
Currently, a yellow banner sporting the signatures of many members of Azar’s church hangs in Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church, while a similar banner with the signatures of its members hangs in Jerusalem.
The interaction and cultural exchange impacted all involved.
‘Our family relationship is obvious. We are in the same family. I read the Old Testament differently now,? said Pastor Ameritus Bob Walter, who visited Jerusalem.
Walter also noted there is no denominational difference between the two churches and highlighted ‘amen? as being one common word between Arabic and English, pronounced the same way.
Azar, who spoke at several of Calvary’s services, discussed his family’s reception at the church.
‘We feel we are here not as strangers, but among brothers and sisters received in a brotherly fashion, like family. It’s been a beautiful experience,? said Azar.
‘We haven’t felt strange at this church. It’s the same way of thinking, different in language not spirit.?
‘Most people don’t think of Palestinians as Christians,? said Azar’s wife Nahla.
Azar and his wife, while stressing they are not politicians, see many differences between life in the United States, including Clarkston, and in Jerusalem.
‘People here are more free, they are not as tense in life with activities. I feel people are more open? You can feel life in the congregation. It’s more joyful, they have a much different situation,? said Azar.
Nahla expressed frustration with conditions near her church that often prevent people from celebrating their Christianity.
‘We want people to come to church to pray. We want the people to be involved in the church, but because of the checkpoints, people spend two or three hours waiting and sometimes can’t get through,? said Nahla.
Besides visiting Clarkston, the Azars visited many places including Huckleberry Railroad in Crossroad Village, the New England Area and San Diego.
Azar said he enjoyed seeing items with tradition in the United States like the steam engines in Crossroad Village, because everything here looks so new.
‘We went to Cedar Point and it was amazing. The girls enjoyed it and all wanted to go on the roller coasters. We also went to a yogurt factory and beer factory in New Hampshire,? said Nahla.
Both Azar and Nahla expressed hope for the future world in which their daughters will become adults.
‘I hope our girls will grow up in a Christian atmosphere. The number of Christians in the Holy Land is not more than 2 percent. Many Christians are leaving and it will be tough to have a Christian identity among Jewish and Muslim people,? said Ibrahim.