The Living Stones: Arab Christians in the Middle East

2012-2014

Amidst the wars and tumult of opinions of the Middle East, there exists a small percentage of often unnoticed Arab Christians. People from around the world come to the Middle East to venerate shrines of the past, all the while ignoring human beings. They come to see holy stones and holy sand. While interviewing Elias Chacour, three time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and Former Archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church in Israel, he asked me, “Did you come for the shrines, or do you want to learn about the living stones?” The Holy Land is full of living stones hidden between the rocks, and thus, often ignored by the world.

I have spent a total of nine months traveling Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon, interviewing, photographing and videoing Arab Christians of differing denominations to better understand how they live their faith as minorities in Islamic and Jewish States.