A monthly column for the church-at-large by the Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
A place where peace truly abides
March 2009
I traveled recently to Israel/Palestine/Jerusalem on your behalf. Victor Makari (coordinator for Middle East, Asia Minor, and Jinishian Memorial Program), Randy Ackley (coordinator, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance) and I were there to show our pastoral support for the Palestinian and Jewish people who had been impacted by the Gaza violence.
This was my first trip to the Middle East, and it left me with many impressions. For example, seeing the actual geography of places like Bethany, the Mount of Olives, and the road on which Jesus rode a donkey on Palm Sunday had me wondering at a new level what it was like to be in Jerusalem in those early days.
Perhaps the greatest impression is that the struggle of those in that region reminds me so much of our struggle to live together in this country. We are still learning that people have basic common needs, regardless of race or creed.
People need a secure home – one in which you can put your child to bed at night without fear of some violence from the sky. They need the ability to earn a living – not very possible if you cannot get to work safely. And people need a sense of future for their family, which is left in question when your children leave your country to find a better life.
The season of Lent provides us with a time of prayer and introspection as we prepare ourselves for Easter morning. This year, I want to invite you to add a regiment of daily prayer for the people of Jerusalem, Israel, and Palestine. They are all people who are trying to live their daily lives in the midst of a huge relational struggle. It is a struggle that inflicts a thousand little hurts into hearts and minds on an all-too-regular basis.
Perhaps first, though, we need to pray that we will continue to learn our own lessons about living together in a common land. Then, let us pray that we will find a way to share what we have learned, so that the geography of the Holy Land will be a place where the peace that passes all understanding truly abides.
