This month saw the unfolding of the tragic events that have once again shattered Israel and Gaza, with Hamas unleashing hostility against innocent lives while taking countless hostages, and President Netanyahu pledging retaliation against Palestine and destruction of Hamas. It was a reminder of the “peace that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4.7) but at the same time eludes all grasp in the Middle East. It was also a reminder of the compelling importance of tolerance and dialogue in an otherwise increasingly divided and divisive world.
During this period, I was privileged to be involved in a number of exchanges with ecumenical staff at Lambeth Palace, particularly in light of the visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury to Jerusalem, where he met with local heads of churches in a gesture of solidarity. A statement was subsequently issued by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches there, especially in the wake of the bombing of the Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrios in Gaza.
The Ecumenical Patriarch voiced his concern about the conflict and his condemnation of the violence along with spiritual leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. We should all pray for a pause to the hostilities for the solemn burial of the dead, compassionate healing of the wounded, urgent return of the hostages, access to humanitarian aid, and critical return to the table of dialogue and reconciliation.
One thing we have learned through experience with our brothers and sisters of the Abrahamic faiths is that only through dialogue can we understand and live with one another in a divided world. Let’s “turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34). “For there is a future for humankind only in peace” (Psalm 37).