Sami Awad – Christ Consciousness Under Occupation (N356)

Nov 10, 2025

Sami Awad, a Palestinian peace activist and director of Holy Land Trust, shares his profound journey through military occupation. He discusses Christ consciousness as a practice of compassion and resilience. Sami emphasizes the power of love over hatred, exploring how loving one's enemy can transform conflict. He addresses the role of steadfastness (sumud) in resistance, communal healing rituals, and the reclaiming of Jesus's messages beyond institutional Christianity. His insights challenge listeners to reflect on faith, privilege, and justice in turbulent times.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Practice Steadfastness As Resistance

Prioritise steadfastness (sumud) as a nonviolent form of resistance: remain rooted in land, community and daily life.
Pair local steadfastness with global nonviolent solidarity and creative strategic action.

INSIGHT

Loving Enemy As Disciplined Resistance

Loving your enemy means refusing to be motivated by hatred, fear or revenge while still resisting injustice.
That love is a disciplined internal decision that shapes nonviolent action and transformation.

ANECDOTE

Olive-Planting Changed A Young Perspective

At 12 Sami joined a joint Palestinian-Israeli olive-planting action and was protected by an Israeli participant during an army attack.
That experience shifted his view that all Israelis were soldiers or settlers.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Palestinian peace activist Sami Awad has lived his whole life under military occupation. He’s witnessed violence, loss, and deep injustice. Yet rather than turning towards hatred or certainty, he’s journeyed into a spirituality rooted in compassion, healing, and what he calls Christ consciousness — a way of seeing that refuses separation and fear.

In this conversation, Sami reflects on what it means to love your enemy amid war, to resist without hatred, and to awaken to the divine even in the midst of suffering. He speaks about his rejection of institutional Christianity, his lifelong commitment to nonviolence, and how ritual, grief, and steadfastness have become his practices of hope.

Following the interview, Tim and Anna reflect on how Sami’s experience of faith under occupation challenges their own journeys. They discuss privilege, embodiment, and what it means to find Jesus beyond the institution. Together they explore sumud — steadfastness — as a contemplative form of resistance, and how love, rather than fear, can become the organising principle of faith.

Interview starts at 17m 39s

Books, quotes, links →

The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book Club—as well as bonus episodes such as Nomad Contemplations, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited.

If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!

If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.

Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.

And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.