Sit down for dinner with Paris Mohammad
Meal suggestion:
Maqloobeh rice (the recipe is available from the links section of the Youthwork website).
Grace: God of our daily bread, As we sit down together at the same table, may we remember that each one of us is equally loved and infinitely valued by you. Help us to see each other as you see us: beloved children of God. Amen.
Starter – meet Mohammad
Like a lot of young people, Mohammad and his friends struggled to find jobs when they finished university. Mohammad lives in the Gaza Strip, an area occupied by Israel, where the freedom of Palestinians is greatly restricted.
Mohammad has lost members of his own family in the conflict and has to live with the pain and sadness of that every day. He says: ‘Everyone has been exposed to pain and loss in Gaza. I use art to express my thoughts and concerns.’
Through his degree in fine art, he and his friends created Carnival Arts, a project supported by the Culture and Free Thought Association (CFTA), one of Christian Aid’s partners in the Gaza Strip.
Mohammad says the people he meets at the project ‘have talents, have hopes and are peaceful – just like anywhere else in the world. We young people are not scary, or terrorists. We are just individuals trying to find our way.’ Mohammad’s volunteer work is making a real difference in his community, inspiring other young people to develop their talents, so that together they can work for peace in Gaza.
Main – chew it over
• Mohammad says that the message of the art to the world is: ‘Gaza is not just a place of suffering and difficulty. There is also hope.’ What would be your message for Mohammad?
• Why is having space to explore feelings important for children who have experienced conflict?
• What are your gifts and talents that you could use to create hope for a better future?
Coffee – take action together
This Advent, as you think about a small family making their uncertain journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, pray for all families of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory who feel unsure about their future. As you celebrate the miraculous birth of a vulnerable baby, pray for all those born in the Middle East this December; that they may grow up knowing peace. End by challenging the group to find out more about Gaza.
Visit www.christianaidcollective.org for more resources.
