Appeal
from Jerusalem for Aid and Support
April 2006
Salaam
and grace to you from Jerusalem, City of Peace!
The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
(ELCJHL) has always advocated for a just peace here based
on a two-state solution, a shared Jerusalem, a non-violent
struggle to attain freedom from occupation and a sovereign,
viable Palestinian state living side by side with Israel
along the 1967 borders.
The
United States, The European Union and others are curtailing
financial aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), and Israel
is making it a policy to boycott the PA. The Palestinian
population is once more faced with a growing humanitarian
crisis that could reach catastrophic proportions. Because
of the freeze in aid the PA will be unable to pay salaries
to 140,000 of its employees. Each salary supports 5-6 people,
so this decision will drastically affect more than 1 million
Palestinians. Despite statements that humanitarian aid will
not be cut off, the freeze will eliminate the bulk of income
and further devastate innocent families as well as the whole
economy, already struggling with a high unemployment rate,
severe movement restrictions and a severely damaged infrastructure.
The
ELCJHL is concerned about the future of our ministries and
schools when salaries are suddenly cut off and families
are without income. This will obviously have major direct
and indirect effect on all Palestinians, including our church
and ministries.
During
this sacred week, we experience the drama of Holy Week yet
again. Simon of Cyrene was from North Africa "coming
in from the country” (Luke.23:26). Why was he visiting
Jerusalem? Celebrating Pesach, meeting friends? We don’t
know. But suddenly he was recruited by the occupying power
to carry the cross of a criminal sentenced to death!
What
thoughts he must have had while carrying the cross: Where
are this man’s friends? Did he know the man he was
helping to carry the cross? In the passion story power and
powerlessness are mixed together. Evil and hatred are mixed
with a love which does not insist on its own way. This love
is alien to a world which prefers revenge, despises weakness
and blames the victims. Perhaps Simon wondered what he could
have been doing instead of carrying this other person’s
burden.
If
we believe we are all human beings created in the image
of God, then all violations of human beings are also violations
of God. But the sites of these violations can also be transformed
into opportunities for healing and restoration of human
dignity. A God who shares in the sufferings of life does
not abandon us when we are alone and vulnerable. Maybe this
is what is happening to Simon while carrying the cross?
He is sharing and carrying a burden of an unknown suffering
human being! No special religious motivations! He may not
even know who he is helping. But he is helping this Jesus
from Nazareth, on his Via Dolorosa, the road of suffering,
where his friends had left him because of fear. On a dark
day in Jerusalem, somebody is helping another person on
the road of suffering.
Given
the present situation for those now suffering on the road
in the Holy Land today, we appeal to you to continue to
carry and share our burdens enabling us to serve our people,
Christians and Muslims alike, in the church ministries,
the community-based schools and institutions with teachers,
doctors, social workers and others.
We
ask for your prayers and immediate support so that our witness
will not end in the Holy Land but instead grow stronger,
promoting hope, peace with justice and reconciliation in
the Land of Resurrection.
We
invite your congregation to become a partner with a school
or a congregation here, learning about each other's ministries
and assisting in those ministries. Contact us for information
as to how this partnership can happen (administration@holyland-lutherans.org).
Your
financial support can be sent through your national church
body, clearly marked "ELCJHL Ministries." In addition,
we urge you to join us in prayerful deliberation as we strive
to find creative ways and new means to enable us to carry
out our calling as God's people in this
land.
Your
brother in Christ,
Munib Younan
Bishop
of the ELCJHL
administration@holyland-lutherans.org
