Despite the war, security concerns, and travel restrictions, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme for Palestine and Israel and the WCC Jerusalem Office continue to operate. Ecumenical accompaniers have observed increasing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7.
Today s letters to the editor include:• Vote for Ben Rogers• Rodriguez McMaster a dedicated leader• Support Linda Gerber for City Council• Pray for peace
Archbishop Justin has given a lecture exploring the meaning of reconciliation. The lecture on 6th September 2023 was hosted by St Martin-in-the-Fields in central London, together with the charity Embrace the Middle East, a Christian development charity working in the region. The Archbishop’s lecture was the first in a series of 7 running from September to November. The series is called “Here I Stand, I can do no other”. These are the words of Martin Luther during the reformation in 1521.
I discussed in my post two weeks ago that the question, “God, what is your will for my life?” is the wrong question. I suggested a number of reasons why I I would contend that the question, “God, what is your will for my life?” radically undermines the Gospel. How?Simple: the question places the focus on the individual what is your will for me? The Gospel, however, is centered on Christ! The Gospel, in fact, calls us to deny ourselves: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mark 8:34).This may not seem like much to many which I believe is part of the problem but the difference is significant.In my estimation, the question betrays a deep-seated self-centeredness that belies the Hedonism of our Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment world and not the Gospel of Christ.
You may not know but: May 14 is the 75th anniversary of Israel’s independence. For Israelis and some Jews (not all Jews support the formation of the I noted earlier that when I tell others about Daoud I often relate the story of the stoning of Stephen. At the end of the Stephen narrative, Luke adds that while the officials were stoning him, Stephen fell and “cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Having said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:60). This is precisely what Daoud and his family have continued to do in the face of violent aggression. Not only has this family demonstrated what it looks like to love their enemies in the face of aggression, but they have also sought peace and reconciliation with their enemies.