Easter Vigil for Gaza
Bethlehem, March 30th, 2024
Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac

Easter has come upon us in Palestine in the most difficult circumstance. It has been 175 days since this genocide began. 175 days of bombardment, siege and starvation. I would have never thought that we would still be witnessing this by Easter. I thought, surely this violence would have stopped by now. I thought world leaders do have some conscience, at the end of the day! I was wrong, it seems!

Today we have entered a new phase of the war of genocide, in which Gazans are being killed by hunger, thirst and disease. They are starved to death. It is a slow death. They are hanging between heaven and earth, dying slowly, while the world is watching. They have “no form or majesty” that we should look at them… “from whom men hide their face.”

It took more than 5 months, and 32000 people killed including 13000 children for the UN security council to finally pass a cease-fire! But nothing has changed on the ground. Since when does Israel care about UN resolutions? Israel has never been held accountable, or even condemned, by western leaders. This remains the single biggest problem today.

Right now, we are pleading for aid and food to enter. We gave up on a cease-fire! Just bring food, water and medicine. Lord, have mercy.  

Friends, a genocide has been normalized. As people of faith, if we truly claim to follow a crucified savior, we can never be ok with this. We should never accept the normalization of a genocide. We should never be ok with children dying from starvation, not because of drought or famine, but because of a man-made catastrophe! Because of the Empire.  

A genocide has been normalized just as apartheid was normalized in Palestine, and before that in South Africa. Just as slavery and the caste system were normalized. It has been firmly established to us that the leaders of the superpowers, and those who benefit from this modern colonialism, do not look at us as equals. They created a narrative to normalize genocide. They have a theology for it. A genocide has been normalized. This is racism at its worst.

The very same political and church leaders who lined up in October one after the other to give the green line for this genocide, giving it the cover of “self-defense” cannot even bring themselves to condemn the obvious war crimes being committed by Israel. They are good at raising their concern. Making statements that they are “troubled” by the killing of our children. (We are sorry the killing of our children by your weapons troubled you!) They want to convince us that they care. They raise funds. They are silent during the genocide, and then show up afterwards, with charity, to say that they care. Can we really accept this? 

Many countries rushed to suspend their funding of UNRWA based on mere allegations that were not fully proven yet did nothing with regards to the clear findings of the ICJ. The amount of hypocrisy is incomprehensible. The level of racism involved for such hypocrisy is appalling.

Now some politicians claim that their patience with Israel is ending — and we say: nothing can wash the blood from your hands. The UN security council resolution was way too late. It means nothing. Some acted as if we should congratulate or thank the USA for not vetoing the resolution. I say, absolutely not. They are complicit. You cannot undo the past. In fact, the US has just sent another massive missile package to arm Israel. Are they really trying to fool us? Claiming that they care, and that they are concerned (obviously to win back some votes)? If the flow of U.S. weapons stopped right now, within 3 days, this would end. Instead, they send Israel missiles to kill us, and then send a fraction of the needed food parcels. This is beyond complicit. This is direct involvement in this genocide.

In this Easter, we turn first to the Cross

We are mourning. These are dark, dark days. In times like this, we Palestinians look at the cross, identify with the cross, and see Jesus identifying with us. The cross is an important Palestinian symbol. 

In Easter, we re-live his arrest, torture and execution at the hands of Empire — with the complicity of a religious ideology of course. In the Easter story, we find comfort and empowerment in knowing that Jesus identifies with us.

We have kept this rubble in our church since the time of Christmas, because Gaza is still under the rubble, and because our people and our children in Gaza are still being pulled from under the rubble at this very moment.

Yesterday I watched with anguish a cruel scene of a child pulled from under the rubble. He miraculously survived the bombing, and while he was being pulled out, he was saying: “Where is the water, I am thirsty.”

This reminded me of the words of Jesus on the cross, when he cried out: “I am thirsty”. He cried out “I am thirsty” in solidarity with those being massacred by famine, siege and bombardment. Jesus stands in solidarity with all the victims of wars and forced famines, caused by unjust and tyrannical regimes in our world. It is the cry of everyone oppressed by the injustice of power, and humanity’s silence and inability to put an end to tyranny and injustice.

Jesus shouted, “I am thirsty,” so they gave him vinegar to drink. They added more pain to his pain, more anguish to his anguish. Today, while Gaza screams, “I am thirsty,” they drop aid from the sky, stained with the blood of innocents. Some were killed by drowning while trying to pull the dropped aid from the sea. How cruel. Gaza is thirsty, and they give Gaza vinegar.

We searched for God in this war. We cried out to Him, and there was no answer, it seems, until we encountered the Son of God hanging on the cross, crying out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Why did you let me be crucified? Alone? While I am innocent?

This is the cry of feeling abandoned. I am sure this is how Gazans feel today. Abandonment from the world leaders, not only Western, but also Arab and Muslim leaders abandoned us. Many in the church also watched from a distance, like Peter did when Jesus was arrested. Peter wanted to be safe; he lacked the courage… similar to many church leaders today, who say one thing behind closed doors, and another in public.

Yet it is in this cry – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” that we experience God, that God draws near to us, and it is in this cry that we feel his embrace and warmth. This is one of the mysteries of Easter.

In this land, even God is a victim of oppression, death, the war machine, and colonialism. He suffers with the people of this land, sharing the same fate with them. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It is a cry that has resonated for years in this land. It is the cry of every oppressed person hanging in a state of slow death. It is a cry that Jesus shared with us in his pain, torment, and crucifixion. Today we place the cross on the rubble, remembering that Jesus shared the same fate with us, as he died on the cross as a victim of the colonizers.

And it became dark. The universe became dark in grief over the absence of truth. The universe became dark, lamenting the absence of justice. The cross is the ultimate injustice. Today, the universe is saddened by the silence of decision-makers and their racism, and by the silence of many who did not speak a word of truth, out of fear, armed with the theology of neutrality and inaction, under the banner of peace and reconciliation.” There are still those who did not openly call for a cease-fire. We received a letter of “solidarity” from large churches in Europe that did not even call for a cease-fire! I told them this is an absolute insult. 

Today, the universe became dark lamenting the apathy and numbness to suffering that exist in our world, and the racism that led to normalizing and justifying a genocide. 

What many in the church lack the most today is courage. They know the truth. But they are not speaking the truth, because they fear the consequences. They fear the backlash! Many in the church want to avoid controversy. Can you imagine if Jesus walked on earth avoiding controversy! They write statements, and the way church statements dance around the issue of “ceasefire” or (God forbid) condemning Israel is indeed amazing. They write multi-page statements that basically say nothing other than unequivocally condemning October 7th!

There are some church leaders who are willing to sacrifice us for comfort, the same way they offered us as an atonement sacrifice for their own racism and anti-semitism– repenting on our land over a sin they committed in their land!

All of this while claiming to follow a crucified savior, who sacrificed everything, endured pain and rejection for the sake of those he loved!

We of course must thank those who carried our cross with us. We really appreciate the Gaza pilgrimages taking place all over the world. We thank those who came to Palestine to be in solidarity with us. We thank the doctors and nurses volunteering in Rafah. We thank those lobbying to stop weapon sales. We thank those demonstrating in the streets. We thank those who did many sit-ins and non-violent protests. We thank those who keep disturbing the comfort of world-leaders in gatherings and press-conferences and fundraisers. We hear you! This is the church of Christ! 

We salute those who resigned from government and international bodies in protest. They have courage and integrity. They understand that Gaza is indeed the moral compass of our world today.

We thank South Africa for its action in the ICJ, and Algeria for leading the efforts for a cease-fire resolution. Both by the way survivors of colonialism! It is there where the moral credibility lies!

We are carrying a heavy cross. And our Friday has lasted way too long. But we know from the experience of Jesus that this suffering is not for the glorification of suffering. We know that suffering is always a path to glory and life. It is a stop on the road to resurrection. We walk with Jesus on the road to Golgotha. We are empowered by his solidarity with us, but we look for Sunday.

In Easter, we turn to the Empty Tomb

What gave Jesus this strength? This resilience and power — to the extent that he forgave his oppressors? To the extent that he said: your will be done, and went voluntarily to the cross? I believe his resolve and determination – his resilience – came from trusting his Father’ will, and from knowing that his Father is able to raise him from the dead—and that He will ultimately do that! His faith sustained and empowered him. He was defiant in the face of Empire; he faced the cross, and even death, with confidence and steadfastness.

I must admit — it is so difficult today to hold to our faith, and to hope. We cannot see Sunday. It seems an impossibility. We are swallowed by the darkness of the tomb. Our strength has failed. We are weary. 

It is so hard to speak of the resurrection now. We are mourning. Our siblings in Gaza are literally dying from starvation. But we CANNOT lose our faith in God. This is our last resort. As such, we have to fight to keep this faith. We cannot lose our faith. We have to look at the empty tomb. We must remember the empty tomb.

Today, I preach to myself with the psalmist: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

The Resurrection gives us hope. Christianity is a faith that hopes. Hope is not a denial of reality. We are not blind to our reality, and we as Palestinians realize the corruption and evil of the world — probably more than anybody else. But we must refuse to let this be the last word.

Christ is the Risen – this is the final word. Christ is Risen, and this changes everything. The empty tomb is our hope. Behind the apartheid wall, and specifically in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, there is an empty tomb that reminds us that the last word is not that of death, but of life. Not that of darkness, but of light. Not that of genocide and starvation, but of dignity and pride. 

The empty tomb reminds us that evil, injustice or tyranny cannot have the last word. If Christ had remained in his grave, Caesar and Pilate would have triumphed. Rome would have won. And the Pharisees won. The oppressors would have been victorious. But Christ is Risen. The Empire is defeated, and even better, death itself is defeated.

Because we have faith — we do not live in despair. Faith is the only thing they cannot take away from us.

When we declare on Easter Sunday “Al-Maseeh Qam” – Christ is Risen, we declare that the final word belongs to God. We declare that justice is served. Truth is vindicated. The Empire and its allies lost. Today, after two thousand years, by continuing to carry the cross, we defeat and even mock the empire and its theology. We took the symbol of Rome’s power and the means of its humiliation of others, and made it the symbol of our strength, victory, and steadfastness in the face of death, and this is because “Al-Maseeh Qam” – Christ is Risen.

The Resurrection urges us to rise and act! Because we know that the final word belongs to God, we rise and act. We build. We preach love because we know love wins. We preach peace, because peace wins. We preach life because death is defeated. Jesus stared death in the face and defeated it. And therefore, we rise and act.

Conclusion 

Friends: I am confident that we the Palestinians will rise. Never in my life have I been prouder and more honored to be a Palestinian more than these last 175 days. I am proud of our resilience, Sumoud. I am proud of our solidarity with one another; our unity. When I say we will be ok, and that we will recover, I say it because I know my people; I know who we are. Palestine is our homeland. We are deeply rooted here. For those Palestinians exiled around the world, Palestine lives in them. Palestine is in every corner of this earth. We will never relinquish our God-given rights of living in dignity and justice. Yet I also say we will recover because I believe in a good and just God who rules the world with justice. Probably our biggest asset is the justice of our cause. Our Sumud (“steadfastness”) is anchored in our just cause and our historical rootedness in this land, but also in this just nature of God. Because he lives, we can face all things, stare the empire in the face, and defeat it.

So today, let the way of the cross be our way. Let the way of sacrificial love be our way. The crucified Jesus, who sacrificed his life for the sake of those he loved, calls us for costly solidarity, the costly solidarity of love. This is a call to action, for the church to be Jesus’ church — to follow in the footsteps of our crucified savior.

The cross is God’s solidarity with humanity in its pain and suffering, and God’s solidarity must become our solidarity. The followers of Jesus risk all to speak truth to power. This is not about making a statement. Jesus did not say: I was hungry, and you prayed for me and made a statement! Jesus said: I was a prisoner, and you came to me! We must find ways to make a difference. We must act, mobilize, pressure, lobby, hold powers and leaders accountable. As people of the resurrection, we must unsettle the Empire. Today, the land of the resurrection calls you to act, in hope and love. Together, we are committed to end this genocide. Together we are committed to work for truth and justice. We know we will prevail, because Al-Maseeh Qam. Christ is Risen. Amen.

In New Letter, 140+ Global Christian Leaders Call for Permanent Gaza Ceasefire, Halt of Arms Sales to Israel

In a new letter released during Holy Week ahead of Easter, more than 140 Bishops and executive leaders from churches, denominations, and church-based organizations in the US and around the world call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, urge the US and other world powers to halt additional arms sales to Israel, and make clear that Israel, the US, and all countries must abide by Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The letters’ signers include a US Catholic Bishop, a Catholic Cardinal, the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church, an Anglican Dean, and many other notable figures from a wide range of churches, including Catholic, Lutheran, Mennonite, Quaker, and Evangelical leaders.

March 26, 2024

As Christians around the world prepare to commemorate the final suffering in the earthly life of Jesus Christ during Holy Week, we stand in solidarity with all in the Holy Land who suffer. During Passion Week, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox alike engage in prayer, reflection, and repentance. We repent of the ways we have not stood alongside our Palestinian siblings in faithful witness in the midst of their grief, agony, and sorrow. Christian witness and engagement with the world must be marked by faithfulness to God, love of neighbor, and mercy toward those who are suffering and in need. For the Holy Scriptures teach, “Uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” (Psalm 82:3).

As the ongoing devastation, bombing, and ground invasion in Gaza continue into their sixth month, Palestinians, including our Palestinian Christian siblings, cry out to the world, asking, “Where are you?” World leaders have responded with empty rhetoric and political volleying about addressing the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza while ignoring the direct causes of the catastrophe. Those causes are the daily bombing and ground invasion by the Israeli military, in addition to the shutting off of basic life-sustaining services to more than two million people who are suffering the consequences of crimes not their own.

As of March 25, 2024, at least 32,333 people in Gaza have been killed, and more than 74,694 have been injured, the vast majority of them women and children. Gaza has been declared one of the most dangerous places in the world to live, where “no place is safe” according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the situation as desperate, as children are dying from hunger and dehydration. The WHO reports that 15 percent of children under the age of two in northern Gaza show signs of wasting, suggesting a serious and rapid decline over just a few months, which is unprecedented globally. The horrific actions Hamas committed on October 7th in no way justify the massive deaths of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military.

The average number of people killed every day in Gaza is just under two hundred people a day, with roughly one person dying every eight minutes. The slaughter continues every day even as more and more men, women, and children are pulled out from underneath the rubble, and more than 1.8 million people remain displaced. As of late January, reports indicate more than half of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed. All of this compounds the devastation that Palestinians have experienced during Israel’s 16+ year blockade of Gaza and the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza since 1967.

Palestinians, South Africans, and experts around the world have said what is happening in Gaza is nothing less than a genocide. South Africa asserted that the Israeli government engaged in action with “genocidal intent” in its complaint at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ’s preliminary ruling found it “plausible that Israel’s acts [in Gaza] could amount to genocide” and issued provisional measures to seek to prevent further deaths. By the end of February, human rights groups around the world asserted Israel had already violated the ICJ ruling by intentionally limiting humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The global church—and world—cannot be silent as people continue to die in Gaza by military assault, lack of adequate medical care, hunger, and disease.

The U.S., the U.K., Israel, and other countries must uphold their responsibility as signatories to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The United States and other nations’ further militarization of the conflict makes no one safer and instead prolongs suffering and causes more death and destruction. We call on the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and France to join the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Japan to halt additional military support and arms to Israel and not be complicit in the ongoing military campaign that is having such devastating effects on civilians in Gaza.

We say, “Enough killing!” and together demand a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire. 

On October 7th, Hamas attacked southern Israel and killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and internationals, and took more than 240 people hostage in Gaza. We have been clear in our condemnation of these actions of Hamas, which were an atrocious crime. It is believed 100 hostages or more could still be held captive in Gaza. We have consistently called for the remaining hostages to be returned home to their families.

We, as global Christian leaders, stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Palestine and around the world and say the killing must stop, and the violence must be brought to an end. We ask world leaders to exercise strong moral courage to bring an immediate end to the violence and to open a pathway toward peace and an end to the conflict. We call for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire where all combatants lay down their weapons and Israeli hostages and Palestinian political prisoners held without the due process of law are released. Immediate and adequate humanitarian assistance must be provided for the more than two million Palestinian people in Gaza who have such desperate needs. We support efforts toward a negotiated settlement that addresses the core causes of the current crisis and brings an end to the decades-long violations of the rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with international law, such solutions must advance security and self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians. As we prepare for Holy Week, we lament and pray for comfort for all who have lost loved ones over the past months in Gaza, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Israel. We know that Jesus himself was among those who suffered, and he comforted the brokenhearted. We say, “Enough atrocities in Gaza; enough violence, death, and destruction! May love triumph over hate.” We hold onto the hope that peace is possible even in the midst of this darkest hour. 

Red Letter Christians signed a Memorandum of Agreement with The Shepherd Society, the outreach branch of Bethlehem Bible College, after the conclusion of the fundraiser in order to securely transfer the funds to trusted, hyper-local organizations providing humanitarian relief in Gaza. Staff at Shepherd Society have both a robust knowledge of local faith organizations on the ground in Gaza and an established process for securely transferring funds from U.S. donors to Palestine, making them an ideal partner for the transfer of funds. 

Together with Red Letter Christians and Churches for Middle East Peace, Shepherd Society developed a list of churches and organizations that will be the beneficiaries, many of which have been directly impacted by ongoing violence: Holy Family Latin Parish, St. Porphyrius Orthodox Church, Gaza Baptist Church, Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Dar al Kalima University, YMCA in North Gaza, The Lighthouse School (Al Manara School), and Middle East Council of Churches. Limited funds are being reserved for rebuilding once supplies become available for such projects. 

Those who wish to make a donation to Shepherd Society for humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts in Palestine can learn more about making a secure gift on the Bethlehem Bible Co. website. 

About Red Letter Christians

Red Letter Christians is a faith-rooted organization dedicated to culture change and shifting the narrative around faith and politics. RLC focuses on civic engagement, direct action, and movement building through storytelling and social justice. We seek to amplify the voices of those on the margins to help counter toxic evangelicalism and to incite transformative social change.

About The Shepherd Society

The mission of The Shepherd Society is to provide a channel for the global family to encourage and financially assist struggling people as a response to the Gospel call to love our neighbors. Shepherd Society partners with international organizations, Christian institutions, and churches to extend Christ’s love in a practical way. 

Between March 24 (Palm Sunday) and March 29 (Good Friday), when Christians around the world remember the crucifixion of Jesus, followers of Jesus and friends will walk 20 miles (almost the length from Gaza City to Rafah), approximately four miles per day; observing the ‘Stations of the Cross’ on each day. Walking from The Liberty Bell to Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest weapons contractor, participants will reflect on Jesus’ Passion and Death and our nation’s complicity in decades of bombings in Gaza, including the current carnage. The Philadelphia pilgrimage is part of the global ‘Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage’ movement.

At Lockheed Martin, Philadelphia-based and national theologians and activists, including Shane Claiborne, Lisa Sharon Harper, Ariel Gold, Linda Sarsour, Rev. Mark Thompson, and others will, filled with the spirit of God and an unflinching commitment to nonviolence, engage in prayerful direct action calling on God to stop the flow of machines of death from the U.S. to the world. This spiritual act of resistance aims to send a message urging the Biden administration to call for a ceasefire and stop or condition weapons exports to Israel being used to kill and maim civilians and violate human rights.

We call for: 

An immediate and permanent ceasefire
Unfettered and robust entry of humanitarian aid
The immediate release of all hostages
An end to Israel’s systems of occupation and apartheid
The elimination/restriction of U.S. military assistance to Israel such that it does not fund violations of human rights, including collective punishment and the targeting of civilians

When: Sunday, March 24 (Palm Sunday) through Friday, March 29 (Good Friday)

Where: From the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA to Lockheed Martin headquarters in King of Prussia, PA

Convened by: Red Letter Christians, Freedom Road, Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Society for Faith and Justice, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and more.

Core Convictions of the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage, Philadelphia (in alignment with The International Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage):

We oppose all forms of hatred, racism, and discrimination, including antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and homo and trans-phobia. We affirm the truth that all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, or nationality are created in the image of God. “Our battle is not against flesh and blood” but against the Powers of domination, oppression, and violence.

We believe in and adhere to nonviolence in strategy, principle, and philosophy. As communicated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who got his inspiration from Jesus Christ and his techniques from Mohandas K. Gandhi:

Principle one: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. It is active nonviolent resistance to evil. It is aggressive spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Principle two: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. The result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation. The purpose of nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.

Principle three: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. Nonviolence recognizes that evildoers are also victims and are not evil people. The nonviolent resister seeks to defeat evil, not people.

Principle four: Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform. Nonviolence accepts suffering without retaliation. Unearned suffering is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.

Principle five: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body. Nonviolent love is spontaneous, unmotivated, unselfish, and creative.

Principle six: Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win. Nonviolence believes that God is a God of justice.”

As we express our solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against settler-colonialism, we are cognizant of and in solidarity with First Nation peoples of the Philadelphia area, the Lenni-Lenape People of Lenapehoking and the Poutaxat (Delaware Bay). We seek the blessing and collaboration of the First Nations Peoples of the land on which we walk and recommit ourselves to the work of healing-justice for all indigenous people.

We engage in the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage as an act of repentance and lamentation for our collective sins of omission by not taking action for Palestinian liberation and our collective sins of commission by allowing ourselves, our houses of worship, and our government to support and contribute to 75 years of oppression of Palestinians and a genocide occurring in real-time in front of our eyes.

We welcome our Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic, atheist, and other allies. We affirm the interconnectedness of our different faiths as we seek together to eliminate the war, violence, and hatred that are abominations in the eyes of our collective God.

Route:

Day 1: Sunday, March 24, 2 PM – 4 PM, walk from the Liberty Bell to the Philadelphia Zoo – 2.7 miles

Day 2: Monday, March 25, 10 AM – 12 PM, walk from the Philadelphia Zoo to the Historic African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas – 3.3 miles

Day 3: Tuesday, March 26, 10 AM – 12 PM, walk from the Historic African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas to Bryn Mawr Metro Station – 4.3 miles

Day 4: Wednesday, March 27, 10 AM – 12 PM, walk from Bryn Mawr Metro Station to Wayne UMC – 4.2 miles

Day 5: Thursday, March 28, 10 AM – 12 PM, walk from Wayne UMC to Berwyn Station– 3.9 miles

Day 6: Good Friday, March 29, 11 AM – 11:30 AM, walk from the King of Prussia Mall to Lockheed Martin – .6 miles.
Day 6: Good Friday, March 29, 12pm – 1pm, Good Friday service outside Lockheed Martin plant
Day 6: Good Friday, March 29, 1 PM – Prayer outside Lockheed Martin plant

Why Lockheed Martin: 

Lockheed Martin supplies the Israeli government with a wide variety of weapons, including fighter jets, attack helicopters, and missiles. Many of these weapons are given by the U.S. to Israel through the almost $4 billion Israel receives annually in Foreign Military Financing.

Since the 1970s, Lockheed Martin’s F-16 has been the Israeli Air Force’s “most important fighter jet,” taking part in all of Israel’s major military assaults on Gaza. The newer Lockheed Martin F-35 is the most advanced warplane used by the Israeli Air Force.

Between 2004 and 2009, Lockheed Martin supplied Israel with at least 102 F-16 fighter jets. Between 2016 and 2021 they supplied Israel with at least 50 F-35 fighter jets.

Lockheed Martin also provides Israel with its M-270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), a mobile system that fires a torrent of surface-to-surface rockets. The Israeli military used the MLRS to fire cluster munitions during the 2006 Lebanon War in attacks that Human Rights Watch deemed to be of “an indiscriminate and disproportionate character, in violation of international humanitarian law.”

During the 2008–2009 assault, Israeli F-16s were used to target civilians, civilian homes, and refugee camps. The attacks killed numerous Palestinians, including 22 members of a single family, 12 of whom were children under the age of 10.

During Israel’s 2014 attack on Gaza, Lockheed Martin Hellfire missiles were used to kill at least 51 people, including 24 children.

During the 2021 offensive, F-16s—described as the “mainstay of the bombardment”—were documented, for example, bombing Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, as well as residential buildings and the offices of news organizations, including Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.

Israel’s current war on Gaza, which heavily relies on Lockheed Martin weaponry, has killed almost 30,000 people, about a third of which have been children.

In December 2023, as Israel was two months into carrying out genocide in Gaza, the U.S. rushed Israel F-35 weapons capabilities and spare parts to the country. In January 2024, the U.S. and Israel reached a deal to supply Israel with large number of F-35 and F15 fighter jets as well as Apache helicopters.

On February 12, 2024, The Dutch Court of Appeal in the Hague ordered the Netherlands government to stop exporting F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel due to there being “a clear risk that serious violations of humanitarian law of war are committed in the Gaza Strip with Israel’s F-35 fighter planes.”

From the organizers of the pilgrimage: 

“One of the central convictions of Christianity is that there is a God who is near to the suffering, to the poor, to all those who are victims of violence.  When asked where God is amid the violence in Gaza, Palestinian theologian Munther Isaac responded: “God is under the rubble.”  On Good Friday, Christians around the world remember in a special way that Christ is God’s act of solidarity, as he endured the most horrific violence on the cross, and subverted it with love, forgiveness, and an empty tomb.  It is Christ who said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they are the children of God. It is Christ who rebuked his own disciples when they wanted to call down “fire from heaven” on the people of Samaria. And it is Christ, who scolded Peter when he resorted to violence, saying to Peter, “Those who live by the sword, die by the sword… put the sword away.”  As many fellow Christians bless the bombs falling on Gaza, bombs made at Lockheed Martin… we say NO, not in our name, and not in the name of our Savior.  As many Christians try to defend the violence of Israel being done in planes made by Lockheed Martin, we are calling for a ceasefire, and an end to the violence in the name of Christ, the Prince of Peace.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2a1xR2sSMF/

This year, we’re highlighting a few RLC blog posts to revive that spirit within us, the church, to live out this challenge. We’ll also share with you a link to The King Center’s 2024 Beloved Community Global Summit.

Back in 2003, singer/songwriter/musician and activist John Francis O’Mara was inspired to write a song, “Kill the Dreamer”, that only grows in intensity and meaning every day. Like the dream that can never be killed, this is a song that will ring true until the dream of The Beloved Community is realized. Last year, RLC spoke with John Francis and he’s graciously shared the song with us and our readers. Every song is more than just a song. There’s always a story, and it’s more than the story that the song tells. In this case, “Kill the Dreamer” is built loosely around the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers’ attempts to kill him and then their selling him into slavery. See what happens to his dreams now, they taunt. Click here to revisit that blog post.

Several years ago, Shane and friends of Red Letter Christians read Letter from a Birmingham Jail.  Revisit Dr. King’s Challenge to Moderates Today.

Annually, The King Center leads the observance of the national holiday commemorating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Beloved Community Awards is one of the marquee programs of the week-long holiday experience. The awards recognize national and international individuals and organizations that exemplify excellence in leadership; that pursue social justice and that are committed to creating the Beloved Community, in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Last year, Shane Claiborne was honored with the 2023 Beloved Community Social Justice Award from The King Center. Click here to read his acceptance remarks.

Below is a link to the 2024 Beloved Community Global Summit. Diana Oestreich of Red Letter Christians was on a panel during the Summit.

For more thoughts on how to talk to kids about Dr. King, how to help children understand racism and the importance of avoiding prejudice, and how we really show our kids these values, a blog post from Kristen Howerton, Dr. King and Our Children: How to talk about and model his dream – Red Letter Christians is insightful and inspiring.

Lord, we pray, Revive Us Again!

Transcript:

Christ in the Rubble
A Liturgy of Lament
Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac
Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church Bethlehem
Saturday, December 23rd, 2023 

We are angry… 

We are broken… 

This should have been a time of joy; instead, we are mourning. We are fearful. 

20,000 killed. Thousands under the rubble still. Close to 9,000 children killed in the most brutal ways. Day after day after day. 1.9 million displaced! Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed. Gaza as we know it no longer exists. This is an annihilation. A genocide. 

The world is watching; Churches are watching. Gazans are sending live images of their own execution. Maybe the world cares? But it goes on… 

We are asking, could this be our fate in Bethlehem? In Ramallah? In Jenin? Is this our destiny too? 

We are tormented by the silence of the world. Leaders of the so-called “free” lined up one after the other to give the green light for this genocide against a captive population. They gave the cover. Not only did they make sure to pay the bill in advance, they veiled the truth and context, providing political cover. And, yet another layer has been added: the theological cover with the Western Church stepping into the spotlight. 

The South African Church taught us the concept of “The state theology,” defined as “the theological justification of the status quo with its racism, capitalism and totalitarianism.” It does so by misusing theological concepts and biblical texts for its own political purposes. 

Here in Palestine, the Bible is weaponized against. Our very own sacred text. In our terminology in Palestine, we speak of the Empire. Here we confront the theology of the Empire. A disguise for superiority, supremacy, “chosenness,” and entitlement. It is sometimes given a nice cover using words like mission and evangelism, fulfillment of prophecy, and spreading freedom and liberty. The theology of the Empire becomes a powerful tool to mask oppression under the cloak of divine sanction. It divides people into “us” and “them.” It dehumanizes and demonizes. It speaks of land without people even when they know the land has people – and not just any people. It calls for emptying Gaza, just like it called the ethnic cleansing in 1948 “a divine miracle.” It calls for us Palestinians to go to Egypt, maybe Jordan, or why not just the sea? 

“Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” they said of us. This is the theology of Empire. 

This war has confirmed to us that the world does not see us as equal. Maybe it is the color of our skin. Maybe it is because we are on the wrong side of the political equation. Even our kinship in Christ did not shield us. As they said, if it takes killing 100 Palestinians to get a single “Hamas militant” then so be it! We are not humans in their eyes. (But in God’s eyes… no one can tell us we are not!) 

The hypocrisy and racism of the Western world is transparent and appalling! They always take the words of Palestinians with suspicion and qualification. No, we are not treated equally. Yet, the other side, despite a clear track record of misinformation, is almost always deemed infallible! 

To our European friends. I never ever want to hear you lecture us on Human rights or international law again. We are not white – it does not apply to us according to your own logic. 

In this war, the many Christians in the Western world made sure the Empire has the theology needed. It is self-defense, we were told! (And I ask How?) 

In the shadow of the Empire, they turned the colonizer into the victim, and the colonized into the aggressor. Have we forgotten that the state was built on the ruins of the towns and villages of those very same Gazans? 

We are outraged by the complicity of the church. Let it be clear: Silence is complicity, and empty calls for peace without a ceasefire and end to occupation, and the shallow words of empathy without direct action — are all under the banner of complicity. So here is my message: Gaza today has become the moral compass of the world. Gaza was hell on earth before October 7th. 

If you are not appalled by what is happening; if you are not shaken to your core – there is something wrong with your humanity. If we, as Christians, are not outraged by this genocide, by the weaponizing of the Bible to justify it, there is something wrong with our Christian witness, and compromising the credibility of the Gospel! 

If you fail to call this a genocide. It is on you. It is a sin and a darkness you willingly embrace. 

Some have not even called for a ceasefire… 

I feel sorry for you. We will be ok. Despite the immense blow we have endured, we will recover. We will rise and stand up again from the midst of destruction, as we have always done as Palestinians, although this is by far the biggest blow we have received in a long time. 

But again, for those who are complicit, I feel sorry for you. Will you ever recover from this? 

Your charity, your words of shock AFTER the genocide, won’t make a difference. Words of regret will not suffice for you. We will not accept your apology after the genocide. What has been done, has been done. I want you to look at the mirror… and ask: where was I? 

To our friends who are here with us: You have left your families and churches to be with us. You embody the term accompaniment – a costly solidarity. “We were in prison and you visited us.” What a stark difference from the silence and complicity of others. Your presence here is the meaning of solidarity. Your visit has already left an impression that will never be taken from us. Through you, God has spoken to us that “we are not forsaken.” As Father Rami of the Catholic Church said this morning, you have come to Bethlehem, and like the Magi, you brought gifts with, but gifts that are more precious than gold, frankincense, and myrrh. You brought the gift of love and solidarity. 

We needed this. For this season, maybe more than anything, we were troubled by the silence of God. In these last two months, the Psalms of lament have become a precious companion. We cried out: My God, My God, we have you forsaken Gaza? Why do you hide your face from Gaza? 

In our pain, anguish, and lament, we have searched for God, and found him under the rubble in Gaza. Jesus became the victim of the very same violence of the Empire. He was tortured. Crucified. He bled out as others watched. He was killed and cried out in pain – My God, where are you? 

In Gaza today, God is under the rubble. 

And in this Christmas season, as we search for Jesus, he is to be found not on the side of Rome, but our side of the wall. In a cave, with a simple family. Vulnerable. Barely, and miraculously surviving a massacre. Among a refugee family. This is where Jesus is found. 

If Jesus were to be born today, he would be born under the rubble in Gaza. When we glorify pride and richness, Jesus is under the rubble… 

When we rely on power, might, and weapons, Jesus is under the rubble… 

When we justify, rationalize, and theologize the bombing of children, Jesus is under the rubble… 

Jesus is under the rubble. This is his manger. He is at home with the marginalized, the suffering, the oppressed, and displaced. This is his manger. 

I have been looking, contemplating on this iconic image…. God with us, precisely in this way. THIS is the incarnation. Messy. Bloody. Poverty. 

This child is our hope and inspiration. We look and see him in every child killed and pulled from under the rubble. While the world continues to reject the children of Gaza, Jesus says: “just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.” “You did to ME.” Jesus not only calls them his own, he is them! 

We look at the holy family and see them in every family displaced and wandering, now homeless in despair. While the world discusses the fate of the people of Gaza as if they are unwanted boxes in a garage, God in the Christmas narrative shares in their fate; He walks with them and calls them his own. 

This manger is about resilience – صمود. The resilience of Jesus is in his meekness; weakness, and vulnerability. The majesty of the incarnation lies in its solidarity with the marginalized. Resilience because this very same child, rose up from the midst of pain, destruction, darkness and death to challenge Empires; to speak truth to power and deliver an everlasting victory over death and darkness. 

This is Christmas today in Palestine and this is the Christmas message. It is not about Santa, trees, gifts, lights… etc. My goodness how we twisted the meaning of Christmas. How we have commercialized Christmas. I was in the USA last month, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, and I was amazed by the amount of Christmas decorations and lights, all the and commercial goods. I couldn’t help but think: They send us bombs, while celebrating Christmas in their land. They sing about the prince of peace in their land, while playing the drum of war in our land. 

Christmas in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, is this manger. This is our message to the world today. It is a gospel message, a true and authentic Christmas message, about the God who did not stay silent, but said his word, and his Word is Jesus. Born among the occupied and marginalized. He is in solidarity with us in our pain and brokenness. 

This manger is our message to the world today – and it is simply this: this genocide must stop NOW. Let us repeat to the world: STOP this Genocide NOW. 

This is our call. This is our plea. This is our prayer. Hear oh God. Amen.

Podcast Episode from Everyday Peacemaking Podcast (Global Immersion)

[Virtual Immersion] Christ in the Rubble – Live from Bethlehem – Munther Isaac – Everyday Peacemaking | Podcast on Spotify

Candlelight Prayer Vigil
Ceasefire Now!

All Are Welcome

Monday, November 20, 2023
6 p.m. – 7:30 pm ET

Lafayette Square
Washington, D.C.

What: A candlelight prayer vigil led by national Christian leaders calling for a ceasefire and an end to all violence between Israel and Hamas. The speakers and sponsoring organizations are in agreement calling for a bilateral ceasefire, immediate and adequate humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and the release of hostages. All are welcome.

* Please note: Flame candles are allowed but only with protectors. 

When: Monday, November 20, 2023, 6:00 PM EST

Where: Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.

Who: Speakers include: Bishop William J. Barber, II, Repairers of the Breach and Yale Center for Public Theology and Public Policy; The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Washington; Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP); Shane Claiborne, Red Letter Christians (RLC); Michelle Dunne, Franciscan Action Network (FAN); Hassan El-Tayyab, Friends Committee for National Legislation; Susan Gunn, Maryknoll Office of Global Concern; Lisa Sharon Harper, Freedom Road; Bridget Moix, General Secretary, Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL); Bishop Leila Ortiz, Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Rev. Adam Taylor, Sojourners; Leslie Copeland Tune, National Council of Churches (NCC); Ekemini Uwan, Public Theologian.

Sponsoring Organizations: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), Christian Church Disciples of Christ, Christians for Social Action (CSA), Determinetruth, Episcopal Diocese of Washington, Evangelical4Justice (E4J), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Franciscan Action Network (FAN), Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Maryknoll Office of Global Concern, National Council of Churches (NCC), Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME), Presbyterian Church USA, Red Letter Christians (RLC), Sojourners, United Church of Christ (UCC).

Registration: https://cmep.org/event/candlelight-prayer-vigil/

Full Webinar from Saturday November 4, 2023
Webinar: A Call for Repentance: An Evangelical Response to the Israeli War on Gaza