Peace in our time
Episcopal News Service. September 3, 2010 [090310-02]
Anne K. Lynn, Executive Director of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
As the world focuses on the U.S.-brokered Middle East peace talks, we're all cautiously hopeful that this could be the time. Let's all pray for peace now. The political issues in that volatile region get the headlines, but we as Christians and as human beings can't lose sight of the humanitarian price that has been paid on all sides. How can we address the suffering?
Lives are lost in many ways. Some involve violent death; but others are lost to despair, wasted potential and preventable tragedy. A significant proportion of the Christian population in the Middle East falls into that second category. They're a small and shrinking community and they need help stabilizing their future. Why should that matter to us?
1. Christian institutions represent neutral territory, accessible to all. Christian schools and hospitals are places of learning and healing, but also of tolerance and respect for differences. The region struggles every day to maintain a sense of security and normalcy. If those institutions were to disappear, some of those day-to-day opportunities for cross-cultural exposure and learning would be lost. The staff members, of all faiths, model cooperation, constructive engagement and conflict resolution while caring for families. It's been said that peace begins on a school desk – we believe we can build peace, child by child.
2. Humanitarian aid is business. We impact the economy by employing health professionals, teachers, janitors, cooks, etc, and by buying books, food, medical equipment, phone service and all the other components which support other local businesses. Staff members spend their salaries on goods and services, producing the same positive ripple effect on their gross national product as consumer spending does on ours. A healthy economy is an important step in a stable society. And a stable society is the foundation for sustained peace.
3. Christians living in the region are ethnic Palestinians, subject to travel, work and educational restrictions. Unemployment, lack of education and chronic health issues are common. On a trip this summer, I met parents who didn't know that blind children could be taught to read. Premature births, diabetes, hearing deficits and so much more can be addressed and permanently improved with just some resolve and resources. Library shelves are bare in rural areas. Local health care is often unavailable. The result is an unnecessarily dependent, unrealized community which is striving to grow, learn and stabilize. If we can help develop economic stability, self-sufficiency and hope, residents can rightfully consider volunteering at their child's school, civic engagement, starting a business. Peace and prosperity becomes a real possibility.
4. Imagine the Holy Land without a Christian presence. We think of the land where Jesus and the Apostles walked as eternally accessible. But if we fail to claim our faith heritage through responsible stewardship, we cannot legitimately expect to maintain a connection to the sites which inspire so many. Episcopalians don't make ahliyyah or a hajj as part of our faith journey. Most don't make pilgrimage. Our approach is usually more cerebral. Yet those who travel to the Galilee, to Jerusalem, to Nazareth, are almost universally transformed by the power of the experience. Pilgrims tell us that the reality of the place, the timelessness, the physical connection to events that changed history have a permanent impact on their relation to Scripture and to those contemporary guardians of the land. We need to know this land and this history spiritually and personally.
5. It's the right thing to do. The Rev. Samir Esaid, head of a school which mainstreams blind students, shared this: "The role of the church is not just to pray on Sunday. Jesus walked among the people teaching and healing. We need to provide for the social needs of his flock." They need our help.
In a flawed and fragile world, there will always be too many demands on our time and our resources. Earthquakes, floods, HIV/AIDS all break our hearts. And we respond. The Holy Land is different. It's not a charity; it's our heritage, our religious patrimony under economic and social siege. And our investment can make a significant difference.
The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem includes Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. It owns and operates 13 schools, 2 full service hospitals, 4 outpatient clinics, 4 institutes for the disabled, in addition to 4 guesthouses and 23 parishes. The institutions of the diocese are built on a philosophy of Christian charity, but also respect for differences, tolerance and a foundational spirit of reconciliation. These values are embedded in the school curricula and shared with students and patients of all religious backgrounds.
The American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem believes, as does Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani, that by helping to build a self-sufficient, stable, educated community, by living the model of a tapestry woven from many beautiful strands, by embracing Jesus' command to love thy neighbor in the land he walked, by teaching children to fish instead of giving them a fish, the Episcopal Church can directly contribute to a stable and lasting peace in our time.