Pondering Pastor

With the Annapolis Summit being held on Tuesday, November 27th, the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East offers six prayers for peace.  Please use them for your personal devotions, as appropriate.

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From Rabbi Herbert Bronstein, Emeritus
Northshore Congregation Israel, Glencoe, Ill.

Sustain together in undiminished hope, O God of hope, those who continue to labor with undiminished determination to build peace in the land from which, of old, out of brokenness, violence and destruction, nevertheless hope emerged for so many of faith. .Bless all the spiritual seed of Abraham together with the light of your Presence. For in the light of your Presence we have found a way of justice and mercy and a vision of Peace. We praise you O God, Giver of Peace, who commands us to Peace. Amen

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From the Reverend Said Ailabouni,
Senior Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, La Grange, Ill.

God of mercy and compassion, of grace and reconciliation, pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East: Jews, Muslims and Christians, Palestinians and Israelis. Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope, oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation, that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces, and peace and justice could be experienced by all. Amen

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From Dawud Ahmad Assad
Council of Mosques USA, New York, N.Y.

In the Name of God, The Everlasting Merciful, The Cherisher Of the Worlds and Worthy of all Praise, Our Lord: You have created us from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made us into Nations and Tribes that we may Know one another (not that we may despise each other) so Help us to love each other and take the hatred and anger from our Hearts so that People of The Book (Jews, Christians and Muslims) In the Middle East may live in Peace and Justice. Amen

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From Rabbi H. Rolando Matalon
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, New York, N.Y.

God Source of Life, Creator of Peace. . . Help Your children, anguished and confused, To understand the futility of hatred and violence And grant them the ability to stretch across Political, religious and national boundaries So they may confront horror and fear By continuing together In the search for justice, peace and truth. . . With every fiber of our being, we beg You, O God, To help us not to fail nor falter. Amen

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From the Rev. John T. Pawlikowski, OSM
Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Ill.

Lord God, we turn to you in these trying hours when conflict is a daily reality for our sisters and brothers in Israel and Palestine. We promise you to work to our utmost for peace and reconciliation in the region. But we know we cannot do it alone. We very much need the strength of your presence in our midst if we are to overcome the obstacles before us. So our prayer at this moment is that you add your support to our efforts, that you show yourself as a tower of strength in those moments when the barriers seem impassable. Together we can become beacons of hope for just and peaceful societies in the land so very dear to the peoples of your covenant.   Amen

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From Abdelwahab Hechiche
University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.

Almighty God! After almost a century of mistrust and fratricide, you inspired Jews, Christians and Muslims to take the path of reconciliation in the Middle East. . . We ask for your forgiveness, O God, yet we find it hard to forgive our past enemies. May Your Words touch those who still stray in the wilderness of vengeful violence, forgetting your command to “forgive and overlook, till God accomplishes His Purpose; for God hath power over all things.”     Amen

Pondering Pastor

On the eve of the “Annapolis Summit” where representatives from Arab nations and Israel will come again to the table to resume peace talks, National Geographic Magazine has an article about Bethlehem. “Bethlehem,” says the article, “is one of the most contentious places on earth.”  Consider the following from the article:

• Bethlehem and Jerusalem are only 6 miles apart (and separated by a wall).
• Bethlehem is a Palestinian city, with the majority of its citizens being Muslim.
• In 1900, 90% of the residents of Bethlehem were Christian.
• There is one checkpoint/crossing available between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and very few Palestinians are granted permission to cross.
• The wall separates squalid refugee camps from growing Jewish settlements.
• Tourism is very low.
• Unemployment is about 50%.

During my visit to Bethlehem in 1990, I remember a place with some tension because of the intifada, yet the people were hospitable and friendly.  Since then, so much has changed.  The stories Lutheran Bishop Younan tells are tragic.  Tragic too has been the reality that many U.S. Christian churches have unashamedly supported Israel while ignoring Christian brothers and sisters who suffer at the hands of the Israelis.

Pray for progress in the peace talks in Annapolis on November 27th.

(I’ve decided to purchase some gifts made by people in Bethlehem this Christmas as a small way of providing support.)

Pondering Pastor

On Tuesday, November 27, a one-day Middle East Peace Conference will be held in Annapolis at the US Naval Academy.  Some reports indicate representatives from up to 50 nations may be in attendance.  The give and take and the nuances of international diplomacy make the “minefields” in the local congregation seem like playground scuffles of 3 year olds.  That political maneuvering always interests me.  How do you find solutions to complex problems such that those with very different perspectives might live together in peace?

From a local level, this is pretty interesting to me.  I live less than a dozen miles from the site of this conference and am intrigued by the peace conference itself, the impact on the community, and the preparations that are taking place.  The security necessary for the leaders in attendance, including President Bush, will be tremendous.

Some groups have applied for permits for rallies.  Shalom International has applied for a permit to hold a “Jerusalem Isn’t for Sale - Defend Jerusalem” rally on Monday and Tuesday and America for a Safe Israel plans to have a “First Amendment” rally on Monday afternoon.  A local temple, Beth Shalom, has organized an interfaith peace rally on Sunday afternoon at the World War II Memorial which overlooks the Naval Academy from across the Severn River.  On Monday, this temple and the Israel Project and Baltimore Jewish Council will co-sponsor a rally closer to the Naval Academy.

The local response has been quite interesting.  The city (Annapolis) officials minimize the impact of the Peace Conference on the community.  They point to the more than 300 year history of Annapolis, it’s participation on the world stage, and it’s ability to manage and handle large crowds for the many large events occurring within the city as factors for this to not have significant impact on the city or its residents.  That’s too bad.  When a peace conference comes to town, shouldn’t it’s impact be felt?

At the same time, articles in newspapers remind the residents (and beyond if the stories get picked up on the wire) that theirs is a “quintessential Chesapeake Bay city”.  The adjectives begin to compete with one another in sentence after sentence.  The writers pull out all the stops.  Consider these:

Unlike most military facilities, the academy is usually open to the public. Blue uniformed midshipmen are a common site on downtown sidewalks. City residents have rallied around the surging Navy football team, which recently beat Notre Dame for the first time in 44 years and is readying for the annual Army-Navy game Dec. 1 in Baltimore.

(In other words, just in case you forgot … Navy beat Notre Dame in football this year.  Although that is an exciting thing for Navy, I wonder how long that will be the claim to fame?)

Winding and narrow streets flanked by clapboard and brick houses trickle down from the white-spired, 18th century State House that commands a hilltop at the city’s center. The City Dock, choked with yachts and pleasure boats during warmer months, anchors the bottom. Around it are art galleries, trinket shops and restaurants serving the region’s signature dish, steamed blue crabs.

No mention here that much of the city dock is under construction this year as the bulkhead is being replaced.  Last time I was downtown a few weeks ago, the city dock had a huge barge dominating the scene.  No mention that the art galleries, trinket shops and restaurants are mired in constant controversy because of being in an “historic district”, often encumbered by high rents and business costs.  A walk down main street is often interesting if nothing else to see what businesses have been able to remain, and which ones have closed.  Residents and shop owners co-exist in an uneasy peace which often looks more challenging to solve than the Middle East.  No mention that even small street closings have a wider impact because of the traffic congestion in the city.  Of course, I wouldn’t expect those things to be mentioned.

I wonder about the wisdom of lining the streets with US flags as an international Peace Conference rolls into town.   This isn’t about us.

That’s enough for now.

Pondering Pastor