Eep! So long since I've posted. December is a busy month.
First, a few notes on recent events:
1) Palestine won the vote at the United Nations to be a non-member observer state. Hooray.
2) Canada was one of nine countries that did not vote in Palestine's favour. Not our finest moment, if you ask me. Jeffrey Simpson wrote an interesting column in the Globe and Mail on Canada's Middle East / Israel policy.
Okay, now back to my trip. I wanted to leave you with a few concluding thoughts. I gave a presentation at my church in September and concluded that I was left with emotions of incredulity, anger, awe, and hope.
- Incredulity to hear of some of the things that are going on in the West Bank and Gaza - things that we don't hear about, that aren't being addressed.
- Anger - How can we stand by as this happens to people every day? Why aren't we more critical of injustice?
- Awe of those who remain, who continue to work for peace, to push for their human rights despite the major forces that are working against them.
- Hope that peace will come, that we will be able to work with the similarities between people as opposed to differences.
So that's that, then. My experiences this past summer continue to influence me and the way I hear the news, the way I see the conflict. No doubt there will be future posts as my thoughts are challenged so much that they must be put into words... but I think I'll take a bit of a break for Christmas :).
May your days this December (and always!) be filled with hope, peace, joy, and love.
First, a few notes on recent events:
1) Palestine won the vote at the United Nations to be a non-member observer state. Hooray.
2) Canada was one of nine countries that did not vote in Palestine's favour. Not our finest moment, if you ask me. Jeffrey Simpson wrote an interesting column in the Globe and Mail on Canada's Middle East / Israel policy.
Okay, now back to my trip. I wanted to leave you with a few concluding thoughts. I gave a presentation at my church in September and concluded that I was left with emotions of incredulity, anger, awe, and hope.
- Incredulity to hear of some of the things that are going on in the West Bank and Gaza - things that we don't hear about, that aren't being addressed.
- Anger - How can we stand by as this happens to people every day? Why aren't we more critical of injustice?
- Awe of those who remain, who continue to work for peace, to push for their human rights despite the major forces that are working against them.
- Hope that peace will come, that we will be able to work with the similarities between people as opposed to differences.
So that's that, then. My experiences this past summer continue to influence me and the way I hear the news, the way I see the conflict. No doubt there will be future posts as my thoughts are challenged so much that they must be put into words... but I think I'll take a bit of a break for Christmas :).
May your days this December (and always!) be filled with hope, peace, joy, and love.
Bethlehem Prayer
by The Very Rev. D. Giuliano,
former Moderator of the United Church of Canada
O Mystery as grand as the universe
O Mighty Force of all creation,
O Power beyond all our power,
You have come to us as an infant:
Vulnerable, fragile, beautiful.
You have come to us in the midst of poverty, powerlessness and longing.
Come again, O Promiser of Peace.
Come again to the city of your birth mired in fear, oppression and injustice.
Come again, where bullet holes still pock the walls of Sanctuary.
Come again, where Children dream of homes they have never seen.
Come again, where a single key or the number 194 cry out again of forced journey to Bethlehem.
Be born again in the camps.
Be born again in stables and homes.
Be born again in many cities and languages.
Be born again among nations.
Be born again in places of injustice.
Be born again a promise of hope, a sign of love and joy to the world.
Be born again in our hearts, that we too might be called Makers of peace and Children of God.
Amen.
