LETTER FROM THE ECUMENICAL MODERATOR
palestine
MURDOCH MACKENZIE
december 2002
Dear Friends
It was John Betjeman who wrote that ' God was man in Palestine and lives today in Bread and Wine. ' A Buddhist friend of mine is a peace and justice worker in Palestine with the International Solidarity Movement. ISM places groups of 'internationals' in Palestine to support the Palestinian people. Their work includes supporting individuals and families, escorting buses and ambulances through Israeli checkpoints and engaging in non-violent direct action by putting their bodies between the Israeli armed forces and Palestinian civilians so that the latter can gather the olive harvest.
All of this reminded me of Jesus who, though a Jew, was a true internationalist who put his body where his mouth was. That the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in the most amazing pre-emptive strike of all time. God so loved the world that in Jesus there was neither Jew nor Gentile but the incarnation of a truly human being whose vulnerability at birth was such that his parents had to escort him through Herod's checkpoints as a refugee seeking asylum in Egypt. Likewise at his death he was equally vulnerable and his body on the Cross was like a ladder between earth and heaven as he humbly submitted himself as the bridge between the righteousness and holiness of God and the unrighteousness and sinfulness of all humanity, so that the latter could gather in the harvest of the Spirit in the form of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But it was a harvest of forgiveness as he put his mouth where his body was and prayed: ' Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. '
It is that harvest for which people long in Palestine today 2000 years later. The true internationalist knows with John Donne that no-one is an island, that the death of anyone diminishes each of us and it is for each of us that the bell tolls. What happens in Palestine today affects every single one of us. At Christmas time especially we hear again the song of angels singing: ' Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all people. ' But, as Mahatma Gandhi taught, there is no way to peace unless peace itself is the way. We cannot overcome evil with evil but only with good. Which again is what the incarnation is all about. But when will we ever learn ? When will we be truly born again into Jesus' international community and leave behind our reliance on the false security and pride and prejudice of our own ethnic identities ? When will we launch out into the deep and love our neighbour not only as we love ourselves but as God in Christ loves us ?
It is very doubtful if we can do this in a pre-emptive strike with bombs and missiles and weapons of mass destruction. As those who kneel in the straw at the manger and in the blood at the foot of the Cross, surely with the prophet Isaiah we are called to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning ? It is highly likely that, as those who have been born again, our pre-emptive strike will be one of loving the world and everyone in it as we see God loving it in Christ as the true international peacemaker. Otherwise Christmas carols become a kind of blasphemy if we don't mean what we sing and sing what we mean.
Therefore let us pray that there may be peace on earth, especially in Palestine, and may it begin with me and also with you.
Love be yours and love be mine !
Murdoch MacKenzie
It was John Betjeman who wrote that ' God was man in Palestine and lives today in Bread and Wine. ' A Buddhist friend of mine is a peace and justice worker in Palestine with the International Solidarity Movement. ISM places groups of 'internationals' in Palestine to support the Palestinian people. Their work includes supporting individuals and families, escorting buses and ambulances through Israeli checkpoints and engaging in non-violent direct action by putting their bodies between the Israeli armed forces and Palestinian civilians so that the latter can gather the olive harvest.
All of this reminded me of Jesus who, though a Jew, was a true internationalist who put his body where his mouth was. That the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in the most amazing pre-emptive strike of all time. God so loved the world that in Jesus there was neither Jew nor Gentile but the incarnation of a truly human being whose vulnerability at birth was such that his parents had to escort him through Herod's checkpoints as a refugee seeking asylum in Egypt. Likewise at his death he was equally vulnerable and his body on the Cross was like a ladder between earth and heaven as he humbly submitted himself as the bridge between the righteousness and holiness of God and the unrighteousness and sinfulness of all humanity, so that the latter could gather in the harvest of the Spirit in the form of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But it was a harvest of forgiveness as he put his mouth where his body was and prayed: ' Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. '
It is that harvest for which people long in Palestine today 2000 years later. The true internationalist knows with John Donne that no-one is an island, that the death of anyone diminishes each of us and it is for each of us that the bell tolls. What happens in Palestine today affects every single one of us. At Christmas time especially we hear again the song of angels singing: ' Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all people. ' But, as Mahatma Gandhi taught, there is no way to peace unless peace itself is the way. We cannot overcome evil with evil but only with good. Which again is what the incarnation is all about. But when will we ever learn ? When will we be truly born again into Jesus' international community and leave behind our reliance on the false security and pride and prejudice of our own ethnic identities ? When will we launch out into the deep and love our neighbour not only as we love ourselves but as God in Christ loves us ?
It is very doubtful if we can do this in a pre-emptive strike with bombs and missiles and weapons of mass destruction. As those who kneel in the straw at the manger and in the blood at the foot of the Cross, surely with the prophet Isaiah we are called to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning ? It is highly likely that, as those who have been born again, our pre-emptive strike will be one of loving the world and everyone in it as we see God loving it in Christ as the true international peacemaker. Otherwise Christmas carols become a kind of blasphemy if we don't mean what we sing and sing what we mean.
Therefore let us pray that there may be peace on earth, especially in Palestine, and may it begin with me and also with you.
Love be yours and love be mine !
Murdoch MacKenzie
