The Moment of Grace and Opportunity
In March of 2011, I took my first trip to the Holy Land. In April of 2011, I met Mark Braverman, who I call “my brother from another mother.” Mark had just returned from South Africa, where he had met with South African and Palestinian theologians to discuss the founding of an international Kairos network. […]
Connections among the 125 people in attendance at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle crackled with energy on Feb. 28. Representatives from about 10 Christian denominations and at least three faith traditions took part. Participants included newcomers to the issues of justice in Palestine as well as longtime activists. The Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel, Bishop […]
How will we bring the devastating truth of the illegal military occupation of Palestine to our United Church of Christ delegates? How do we tell them that boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) are the most powerful tools we have for non-violent, church-based, grassroots activism in the Holy Land? These were some of the questions discussed […]
Our friend Noushin Framke of the Presbyterian Israel/Palestine Mission Network has been sending around her own series of Advent sermons. Each one consists of a single photograph. Shown here is Noushin’s photo for this fourth week of Advent. The caption she includes reads: “I hope my daughter will live in peace.” New mother Safa, 20, with daughter Asil […]
“Many of us worked for so many years for a two-state solution. But the two-state solution is dead, completely dead, and the Israelis have killed it. Our message — especially in the West — must speak this word clearly.” These are the words of Jeff Halper, a Jewish anthropologist from the United States who emigrated […]
I had the good fortune to encounter the Rev. Richard Leon a little over a year ago. Actually, Dick sought me out. That’s who Dick was, a man who reached out to others. Our meeting took place not long after the semi-retired Presbyterian pastor had returned from the Holy Land. While there, he saw for […]
Kairos USA works to unite and mobilize Christians in the United States to end Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. Our focus on the issue of Palestine, however, only serves to heighten our awareness of how structures of injustice exist throughout the world, including in our own communities. The grand jury decision recently handed down in the […]
Kairos Palestine of Bethlehem provides rich and substantive material for reflection on the true situation facing Palestine this year at Christmas. It is not enough to sing traditional Christmas songs, nor even to read once again the well-loved Biblical passages that provide spiritual sustenance for our journey toward Christmas. The Palestinian Christian community echoes the […]
I’ve often called the issue of Jewish-Christian relations the elephant in the room when we’re talking about Israel and the Palestinians. But I’m not sure that’s true anymore. It’s hard to pretend the elephant isn’t there when we’re running into it at every turn. More and more, it seems like it’s become the story itself.
“We will keep on pushing for action on behalf of Palestine. We don’t have a choice, despite the odds. If we gave up, we would lose our soul. This is a long-term effort. We are not going to give up.” These are the words Mary Morris, a fellow Oregonian and member of the Episcopal Peace […]
