April 3, 2023
Good afternoon,
It is Monday of Holy Week. Yesterday Jesus came with great fanfare from the Mount of Olives down into the valley, and up to the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem. Some people were excited. He looked around and then left for the night.
The next day, Monday, he returns to the city. He sees all the people selling stuff in front of the Temple. He was angry, turned over the tables, and said, ” you have turned my Father’s house into a den of robbers”. In one of the Gospels, it says he makes a whip out of reeds to chase out the animals. No one arrests him, but the authorities are angry with him. It is the Passover, and there are a lot of people around, and the Empire does not want any problems.
If we have grown up in the church, we have seen some pictures of this event. We know it well. If we were to take one place in our world where there is injustice being done, what would we say ? And what would we do about it ? Where would our righteous anger be directed at ? What action should the church take that would be part of our testimony ? Jesus is testifying to an injustice in the streets of Jerusalem. Partially, he gets crucified for doing this. It was one of the charges against him.
The United Nations says that Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian land. Israel continues to take down Palestinian homes, and cuts off electricity to hospitals and other buildings. Countries have declared that Israel is committing genocide and apartheid against Palestinians. What can we do to put pressure on the nation of Israel ? Some people say that we have to support Jewish people all over the world who see injustices. Jesus was Jewish, so he was a prophet from the inside. So, we can write letters of support for Jewish young people who say no to serving in the military to persecute the Palestinians. A Waterloo engineering professor who is Palestinian, says it will be Jewish people who will change everything in Palestine.
Salaam ( Arabic for peace) and Shalom ( Hebrew for peace ) to the Holy Land of Christians, Jews and Muslims. Amen
Fred
Birds perch on branches
joining the peaceful chorus
of Courage’s song
Monika Pieper Landoni 2023