Middle East

Earlier this month, there was significant uncertainty about which candidate would win the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Nonetheless, it is clear that whoever is in the White House for the next four years, U.S. policy toward the Middle East is of critical importance. We at Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) will continue to be active throughout the next presidential term and urge the President of the United States to be a leader who strives for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine and pursues equality and human rights for all people of the Middle East. 

 Over the past several months, many of us who work on behalf of justice and an end to the conflict in Israel-Palestine, have been particularly concerned with the possibility of unilateral annexation.  Annexation is the extension of Israeli sovereignty over significant portions of Palestinian land in the West Bank. 

"Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it." - Ezra 10:4 

The theme of this year’s annual advocacy summit for Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is Equal in God’s Eyes: Human Rights and Dignity for all in Israel/Palestine. For some, this statement will seem obvious. Of course, all of God’s human creation is created equally and in the image of God. We recall the words of the Hebrew Scriptures in the book of Genesis,

“So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (1:27).

You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. - Psalm 56:8

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:22-25

"They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." Jeremiah 6:14

"Don't be discouraged today.  You can leave your 'what-ifs' and 'if-onlys' in the hands of the One who loves you and rules all things." - Paul Tripp

What happened?

On January 2, the United States killed a well-known military commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Major General Qasem Soleimani, who was designated by the U.S. as a terrorist. This event has significantly increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran. 

I’ve just returned from my first trip to the Holy Land, and I’m now entering the season of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany with a new outlook on the land where Jesus was born. The trip was a collaboration among the Reformed Church in America (RCA) Women’s Transformation and Leadership, RCA missionaries Sally and Josh Vis, and PhD candidate and RCA minister Dustyn Keepers. We climbed Mt. Arbel and walked the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.