Five Reasons
Greetings! I’m writing to you from the fourth annual Interfaith Action for Palestine in Washington DC, organized by Christians for a Free Palestine. I miss you and hope you will welcome Rev. Marjorie McNeill back this Sunday. She will preach in my place as we remember the July 10-11th anniversaries of the devastating Vermont floods.
Why am I here, protesting CUFI (Christians United for Israel)? I want to offer you five reasons why I am raising my voice against Christian Zionism.
One - One of the ways we can promote long-term unity in the body of Christ is by confronting divisiveness and idolatry. Christian Zionism is the foreign policy of Christian nationalism, a perversion of the religion of Jesus.
Two - As a Christian, I may not feel like I have the right to speak about Israel and Palestine; but I have the responsibility. My Jewish and Muslim siblings need my voice. Moderate Christians are well-poised to be a helpful, mediating influence in this conflict.
Three - Our Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry says we are a Connected Church. Our Lutheran companions in the West Bank have asked us to raise our voices. The ELCA defines a companion as “one who is frequently in the company of our associates with another; one who shares the experiences of another, especially when they are unpleasant or unjust.” We have been asked for - by name.
Four - Ministry includes four important steps: pray; learn; act; and advocate. Our church has done much to pray, learn, and advocate for peace in the Middle East, but we shouldn't skip the action step. Our most recent synod resolution about Palestine in June called us to shift from resolution to action, through actively participating in boycotts, a form of protest.
Five - The Holy Land is our history, too. It is the birthplace of our savior Jesus, who became deeply involved with the suffering of the world, not turning away from it. The violence of Christian nationalism puts our very humanity at stake. We are called to care for the whole world.
Thank you for supporting me being here in DC. I don’t speak for you, but I feel you with me.
with love, Pr. Chelsea
