Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 28, Give Up, Take On, Pray '24

    Racism, prejudice and discrimination still exist in the world, and the Jews have endured the longest continuous manifestation of this racism. I have written that we, as Palestinians, should face Israel candidly and say that we are appalled by the Holocaust, that we should open our hearts "and with a new, magnanimous attitude we should say to the Jews, 'We will accept you and share the land with you. You have suffered for so long. Come share our land. This is God's land. We will live in it together as brothers and sisters.'"    

~ Naim Stifan Ateek* 1937-

    After the discoveries and acknowledgement of the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, a homeland for the Jews was understandably and sympathetically promoted for Palestine as "A Land Without People for People Without A Land," except the flaw in the ointment of the great repatriation was there were many people already there, a few Jewish people and also many non-Jewish people ~ Muslims, Christians, and non-believers. The debates, the wars, the persecutions, the walls, the barbed wire fences, the guns, the bombs, the bloodshed continue and escalate on a daily basis...and yet, a question always remains: to whom does the Earth really belong? We cannot take the land with us when we die but so many are willing to die ~ or to kill ~ to prove it. While this is one example, think Ukraine, Crimea, "Yugoslavia," Turkey/Greece, Russia/China/Mongolia, Asia, the South Pacific and Caribbean Islands, North/Central and South America, and everywhere the suppression of Indigenous Peoples occurs, etc. Religion isn’t the reason, like race, ethnicity, gender identity, extension of "ownership," and intentionally false propaganda, etc., it may only be a useful ruse to exercise power, domination, reap money, and, all-too-often ethnic/other cleansing aka: murder.

God of Heaven and of Earth, and of all the Universes known and unknown:

          We grieve for the pain and suffering, the torment and anger on all sides of this and every other feud over who can, must, should, shouldn't, can't live here or there. Deep as the core of this earth, the anguish belongs to everyone. We are all Your people Jews, Christians, and Muslims in particular are ALL Children of Abraham, but You created EVERY ONE ~ please, we implore, we beseech, we beg You ~ show Your care for Your children everywhere and help us learn to care for each other and to live together in peace, safety, and freedom. Open our eyes, our hearts, and our souls to see ourselves in each other's faces and especially in the faces of all of our children. 
     For today I must give up thinking more about fixing blame and take on learning more about the history of all sides of a conflict whether in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, Central America, and the entire world which, of course, includes my own country, my city, and even my family. I pray for the courage to support and participate with those who abhor violence in all forms and who will encourage dialogue to promote understanding among us all. Help us especially with the eternal question: Who really are my neighbors as Jesus specifically says we are to love as our selves? I entreat You through the Saving Love of Jesus the Christ, and the Wisdom of Your Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as one, the God of Abraham, the Creator of ALL, for now, for tomorrow, for eternity. amen.


*The Rev Dr Naim Ateek is a Palestinian priest in the Anglican Church and founder of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. A former Canon of St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem, Dr. Ateek is a much sought after lecturer at home and abroad and receives support across all denominations and faith traditions including those of the Jewish faith.  Educated at Hardin-Simmons University, Baptist University in Abilene, Texas; and the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, a seminary in the US Episcopal Church in Berkeley, California, Dr. Ateek is a very well-respected author of a number of books and articles on Palestinian Liberation Theology, Dr. Ateek has been the recipient of many honors and awards for his work.

Naim Stifan Ateek is a Palestinian priest in the Anglican Communion and founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. He has been an active leader in the shaping of the Palestinian liberation theology

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