Because it is also Ramadan, the
member organizations of the Joining Hands for Justice network
have had increased difficulty leaving their cities to meet together.
So instead of a single meeting, we held two separate meetings,
in Ramallah and Bethlehem, to update one another on activities
in our absence, reassess network decisions made in June before
our trip to the United States, and talk about the future. We were
also anxious to learn how the war in Lebanon has impacted people’s
lives and work.
During our travels, we came across a herd of sheep grazing in
a field, but there was one disconcerting element that interrupted
the pastoral scene. Immediately, Jesus’ conversation with
Simon Peter (John 21: 15-19) sprang to mind. Jesus asked Simon
Peter, “Do you love me?” and he affirmed that he did,
Jesus instructed him to care for and feed His sheep. Later, Jesus
proclaimed, “How much more valuable is a man than a sheep”
(Matthew 12:12). It caused me to reflect that if the feeding ground
of a herd of sheep is impeded by the intrusion of tanks, how much
more must the lives of humans be obstructed?
The already very fragile existence of our fellow Christians here
has been further jeopardized by the recent war in Lebanon. During
the meeting in Bethlehem, one of the network members illustrated
this with the story of a man so desperate that he advertised the
sale of his eight children because he is no longer able to feed
or care for them. This man has lost all hope.
This dire account caused us to put aside the meeting’s
agenda, and we sat together and tried to brainstorm about what
path the network could take to impact such hunger and hopelessness.
All the participants acknowledged the many faces of deprivation
they encounter daily. Many agreed that it has been so bad that
it’s hard to even concentrate on anything at work.
Perhaps the most frightening form of hunger threatening people
here is not the lack of sufficient calories, but a more spiritual
form of hunger, a hunger for justice. Our original plan for the
meeting was to talk about the isolation of the organizations in
the network and see what we as a group could do to combat that,
but recent events have caused all of these highly successful and
dynamic organizations to go into survival mode.
The bright spot in all of this is that we know and trust that
God stands beside them (and us, as their companion facilitators)
in these days of trouble. Everyone in this network has endured
a lifetime of struggle, varying only in degrees, but like vessels
in God’s refining fire, they distinguish themselves as necessary
and useful despite the heat! Instead of looking inward and just
taking care of their own needs, these organizations continue to
effect change for the benefit of all. They feed their sheep. This
is how they roll away the boulder of occupation.
The greatest tools in our possession are those of prayer and
advocacy. We invite you to join with us in our prayers for peace
and to help educate ourselves and others to be better advocates
for peace.
Thank you for the various forms of support you have given. We
can’t express our gratitude enough!
Grace and peace,
Terry and Michele Finseth
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
185 |
