Encourage peace for both sides of Israel-Palestine crisis

“As a fire is meant for burning, with a bright and warming flame.

So the church is meant for mission, giving glory to God’s name.

Not to preach our creeds or customs, but to build a bridge of care,

We join hands across the nations, finding neighbors everywhere.”

This 1992 hymn was one of the songs fervently sung at the United Methodist Conference School of Missions in Ellensburg last weekend.

I was privileged to co-teach a class on “Israel-Palestine” at that school. The other elective class was on “Native Americans.”

Both choices focused on the social justice aspect of our mission as United Methodist Christians. The “all school” study was more of a personal piety class called “I Believe in Jesus.” But it, too, was a strong reminder that our personal faith has a significant social dimension that also must be acted upon.

From the time of John Wesley’s ministry in England in the 18th century, the Methodist heritage in each of its incarnations has had a strong social outreach tradition. Historically, it has not been without its heated controversies.

Today, we live with tensions within and beyond the denomination because of particular social positions taken by our General Conference and through various individual churches. One of those positions has to do with Israel and Palestine.

As a country, and as individuals, we find it next to impossible to criticize Israel’s government policies and tactics that have kept Palestinians in a state of occupation for 40 years. An avalanche of “anti-semitic” charges is released on whomever speaks against those policies.

We conveniently forget that Palestinians are Semites also. So where are the outcries of “anti-semite” when Palestinian policies and tactics are criticized?

Both peoples have experienced what one friend called “immense suffering” in their recent histories.

Unfortunately, too few Palestinians acknowledge the Israelis’ Holocaust horrors. Likewise, too few Israelis acknowledge the horror and life-disruption imposed on Palestinians since Jewish statehood was declared in 1948.

As Israelis celebrated that statehood this spring, Palestinians were rightly remembering their own “Nakba” – their own “catastrophe.”

Having said this, I want to go on record, as my denomination has, in declaring that I am neither pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli. I am pro-justice, pro-human rights. Both sides have often acted horribly. Neither side has the right to claim the high ground.

Fortunately, there are Israelis and Palestinians who are doggedly, passionately pursuing ways to bring justice and peace to their countries, even as they seek consistent security.

Whether we are in a faith community called Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or whether we claim no religious faith, it is imperative we wake up to that crisis.

We are called by our consciences, if not our God, to do what we can to encourage and support efforts for authentic peace and justice between Israel and Palestine.

I personally appreciate the call to action put out many years ago by Father (now Archbishop) Elias Chacour. In “We Belong to the Land,” he doesn’t see the Beatitudes as passive receptivity.

When our word “blessed” is read from Jesus’ language, Aramaic, it is “ashray,” an active call to “do the right thing.” So when Father Chacour translates the “peacemaker” beatitude of Jesus, it goes like this:

“You who want to be peacemakers – get up, do something, move – and then you will be called Children of God.”

Wherever we live, however we understand the incredibly complex dynamics of Israel-Palestine, we are called to be more than passive observers.

Each of us has the opportunity and challenge to reach out both in prayer and faithful action to our own national policy-makers to urge them to courageously work toward peace and justice for both sides.

Encourage groups and people in Israel-Palestine, however you can, to continue their peace work.

Be the peacemaker you want others to be.