A Call for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land

St Marys Centre for Peace and Reconciliation is committed to challenge all that fractures human society and be a voice in the church and beyond for all that builds peace.  We lament all hatred that divides, all violence that kills, and all destruction of communities and livelihoods.  These mar the image of God in each one of us.

Along with many others we therefore stand shocked at the events of the past week in Israel, Gaza and the Palestinian Territories. The place we choose to call the Holy Land has been once again defiled by death and destruction.

It is in this land that Jesus challenged us to be peacemakers, “to turn the other cheek” in the face of violence, and taught us to walk peaceably with one another.  We hold his life marked by truth and grace, and his ways of peace to be our standard.  Our experience is that as people live this way conflict is reduced and peace is built.

The attacks by Hamas on unprecedented numbers of civilians as well as military, and the impact in Gaza of attacks on huge swathes of housing that cannot have avoided civilians, have escalated the problem and allowed the cycle of violence to complete another turn.  That cycle runs back through the past 75 years and has killed so many.  The anticipated invasion of Gaza will only increase violence and death on both sides now and in the future.  We therefore pray for restraint by all in the Holy Land with the hope of stopping, indeed reversing, that cycle of violence 

Locally, we stand with Luton Council of Faiths, who have consistently worked to bring people of all faiths in our town together for over 25 years. In  calling for us all “to stay united in our longing for peace in the region,” and in longing “for a peaceful solution which does justice to all involved” they speak for us all.

We appreciate and stand with Luton’s Mosques in the spirit of their Call for Peace.  We share with them their sentiment that: “Our grief moves us to reaffirm our hope for a future where all life is considered precious, and people everywhere are able to enjoy freedom and dignity.”

May we all have the words of Jesus etched in our minds at this time:

“Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.”

Download a pdf file of this statement here