Looking Beyond Borders: A Call to Compassion

Brendan Murphy on October 13, 2023

Dear Friends,

As followers of Jesus, we are called to see borders differently than the powers and principalities of this world. While invisible lines that divide nations and peoples matter a great deal in geopolitics and gerrymandering, in God’s vision, God’s beloved children are without divisions.

In our broken world we have divided ourselves along religion, race, politics, and class lines. We have enforced these divisions with rockets and checkpoints, preventing reconciliation while unleashing untold violence against one another. Yet, God calls us to look beyond the old stories that keep us trapped in cycles of fear, violence, and hatred.

We must look at our world with different eyes. Can we look past hardened borders and imagine, for example, an Anglican diocese that encompasses parts of Israel and Palestine, as well as Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon? The Bishop of the Diocese of Jerusalem cares not only for our Christian siblings, but all people; from the churches in Tel Aviv to the hospitals in Gaza. We are reminded of our call to compassion and justice for all who are in harm’s way today.

The recent violence in Israel and Gaza is deeply saddening. There is no justification for the mass murder of civilians, and we must speak up for our Jewish siblings whose sense of safety has once again been threatened. Many are still awaiting news of loved ones, praying for their safe return from captivity. We grieve and pray for those who have lost so much and hold profound hope for a peaceful solution.

To that end, Trinity Cathedral has joined a list compiled by our friends in the American Jewish Committee to express our support for Israel. This is a response not only to the profound tragedies we have witnessed this week, but part of ongoing repentance for our church’s participation in a form of white supremacy that finds its roots in European anti-Semitism. We acknowledge the reality that Jewish people around the world are more frequently targeted for acts of violence, and any language of justification can carry with it the resonance of that original sin.

As Episcopalians we are committed to respect the dignity of every human being. Every human being. This calls us to be particularly mindful of the lived experience of the marginalized and vulnerable, which is why our church is also committed to seeing the people of Palestine know safety, freedom, and prosperity. We understand that the road to peace and reconciliation is long and knotted, but we hold on to God’s dream of the Beloved Community, where peace is the only way forward. We know that peace is only possible through justice, commitment, and self-giving love.

My heart breaks for all of God’s children who are grieving, dying, or fearful this day. I invite you to join me in prayer, and offer you these words from the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem:

For all who are fearful for the safety of their loved ones and themselves, we pray that the assurance of unfailing love, even in the midst of danger, settles upon them. Shelter them from despair and protect them from harm.

For leaders on all sides, we pray for a renewed will to lay down arms, for the strength to put the grievances and wrongs suffered by their people to rest, and for the conviction to embrace a path of reconciliation and peace that preserves the rights and dignity of all your children.

God of mercy, help us to remember there is no border that can separate us from your great love and protection, no stone that can sound the well of your deep mercy.

Amen.