We Need God Right Now

My Fellow Good Samaritans,

Over the weekend I was riding on the light rail with my family when a middle eastern woman wearing a head covering boarded the train car. She sat down and I watched her gently unfold her Palestinian keffiyeh and place it around her head. And then I noticed that she was holding a telescoping pole with a Palestinian flag on top. She looked around warily, very aware of her vulnerability in a train surrounded by strangers.

When Amanda and I talked about it later, it turns out we had the exact same thought. We were ready to come to her aid and defend her if she was harassed or bothered. We would have done the same if the person was wearing a yarmulke or fringes. And it breaks my heart that these are things we have to think about and have to prepare for.

As a result of the conflict between Israel and Gaza antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate speech has surged in this country, especially on social media. According to a recent article in the New York Times: “The increases have been at far greater levels than what academics and researchers who monitor social media say they have seen before, with millions of often explicitly violent posts on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.”

Last week, our Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Michael Curry, issued a statement calling for an end to the violence on both sides of the conflict. No matter where you find yourself standing in relation to this war, as Christians we cannot stand idly by when there is such hate and loss of life. Our Baptismal Covenant compels us otherwise: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? To which we respond: I will, with God’s help.

We need God right now. We need God to give us courage to speak out against violence, and hate, and innocent deaths wherever they occur. We are on the side of love. And, this is true no matter what you believe about this war.

To that end, Bishop Skelton has offered resources that can make some difference in this situation: https://ecww.org/the-israel-hamas-war/. I hope you will read it and prayerfully consider what she sent out.

Peace,

Fr. Chris