The following is an ecumenical Advent message written in collaboration
with brothers and sisters of different churches that work here
in Israel/Palestine.
Advent 2001
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and
hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and
the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be
revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth
of the Lord has spoken.
(Isaiah 40:4-5)
We live in a tumultuous and restless time. The post-September
11th world has left many fearful for their security and uncertain
about the future. The words ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’
have become routine in people’s conversations. Suspicion
and doubt about others are becoming all too common.
For those of us living and working in the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine),
such fears and uncertainties about the future are not new. We
live in a land plagued by injustice and where terror exists
in many different forms. The acts of Palestinian suicide bombers,
whether against Israeli civilians or soldiers, are publicly
and swiftly identified and condemned as terror by the world
community. But, unfortunately, Israeli actions inflicted upon
a predominantly unarmed civilian Palestinian population—confiscating
land, shelling residential areas and refugee camps, bulldozing
agricultural lands, demolishing houses, assassinating political
leaders and activists, expanding settlements, torturing political
detainees, killing children—are too seldom acknowledged
or condemned as the acts of terror they are. For Palestinians
living in the Holy Land, this silence by the Israeli and international
public compounds the experience of loss and destruction, creating
feelings of abandonment, resentment and despair.
To begin to rid the world of violence and terror, we must be
willing to name and condemn all their manifold forms. Whether
Palestinian or Israeli, American or Afghani, whether Christian,
Muslim, Jewish or Buddhist, we all yearn to live in a world
free of terror, suspicion, injustice, poverty, hunger, oppression
and occupation. Only as we strive to lift-up the dignity of
every human being and the well being of all creation can we
hope to build a world of peace and security.
As we begin the season of Advent, there is no greater need
than for us to create such a world. As people who are living
in the midst of despair and hopelessness, we know this is no
easy task. Yet, the words of Isaiah 40 quoted above provide
us with courage to face the hard work ahead, reminding us that
the world as we know it will one day be changed and aligned
fully with God’s will and purpose for all creation.
Advent is a time for Christians to reflect, prepare and anticipate,
as we await the return of Christ and celebrate his birth. It
is a time for us to get ‘our house in order,’ both
personally and as a community. We are called to believe in and
strive for God’s reign of justice, mercy and peace on earth
as it is in heaven. In this first Advent of the new millennium,
there may be no more important task before each of us than to
wrestle with what we must do to help bring peace on earth.
In response to the uncertainty in the world following the attacks
on 11 September, there appears to be an emphasis on ‘bombing’
our way to security and peace. Here in this land of Palestine/Israel,
we have seen the folly of trying to obtain either through just
such measures. For us, another prophet of this land calls us
to a different way. Is it not through living as the Lord requires—doing
justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with our God—
that we bring hope and life to our broken world and obtain true
peace and security for all God’s creation?
This Advent, many Palestinians, Internationals and Israelis
will join together to end the occupation through acts of non-violent
resistance. This Advent, many Christians in the US will join
in Ecumenical Prayer Vigils for a just peace in this region.
This Advent, many people the world over will ask their elected
officials to move beyond empty rhetoric to real acts of solidarity
with the outcast, the poor and the oppressed. It is these acts
that will fulfill the call to do as the Lord requires. It is
these acts that may begin to bring about Peace on Earth. We
pray wherever you are in the world, you will find ways to join
such movements of God’s spirit in order that ‘the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see
it together….’
Rev. Alex & Brenda Awad — East Jerusalem Baptist Church
(GBGM-UMC)
Douglas Dicks — Presbyterian Church (USA) Partnership
Liaison - Jerusalem
Nancy J. Dinsmore — Development Officer - Episcopal Diocese
of Jerusalem
Dean & Mrs. Ross Jones — St. George’s College
Jerusalem
Robert May — GBGM – United Methodist Church Worker
Kathi McDonald — Warden, St. George’s College Jerusalem
Catherine Nichols
Edward B. Nyce — Mennonite Central Committee
Rev. Sandra Olewine — United Methodist Liaison –
Jerusalem General Board of Global Ministries
Rev. Michael Thomas & Rev. Susan Thomas — Pastors,
English-speaking congregation Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Alain and Sonia Epp Weaver — Country Representatives -
Mennonite Central Committee
