Christians and Gaza

by Oscar Allen 23.JAN.09

As a disciple of the Palestinian from Galilee, Jesus the Christ, I see the recent Israeli invasion into Gaza as a crime against humanity, a violation of the teaching of the prophets, a descent into the lowest levels of ethical conduct portrayed in Hebrew scripture, and a cause for a Christian practice of pity, prayer, penance and mission on two fronts.{{more}}

Consider the sordid experiences that Jesus encountered while he lived under the rule of the Romans and their puppets. We read the matter of fact account of how his mother and her husband had to run as refugees into Africa in order to save his life. Other children perished in his stead! And yet this Jesus, this liberator, even though he admired the military and other achievements of his ancestor King David, even though he called himself “Greater than David”, he absolutely rejected the temptation to organise any military power play to displace or destroy the Romans. He described such crusades in God’s name as ‘Abomination and Desolation’. He taught peace making, enemy embracing and cultivating an environment of powerful grace rather than greed. This is the Jesus, son of God, liberating saviour whom Christians worship and follow. He weeps again today on two accounts. His voice breaks as it did 2000 years ago near Jerusalem. “If only – he laments- you had known the things that lead to peace” (Luke 19. 42…). But Jesus has a greater grief. He is hurting because we who build our lives on his, silence our consciences and even raise a psalm as Palestinians perish from Israel’s assault.

We, who belong to Jesus Christ, have a concrete mission to the Palestinians and to Israel.