Peace in Gaza, Israel . . . and the world
By Mike Hogeterp and Karen Bokma

The conflict in Israel and Gaza has dominated the headlines in the opening weeks of this year. Lives lost on both sides, and the prospect of escalating violence in the region, mean that salaam/shalom is ever more urgent. This urgency has resulted in an outpouring of concern and action from people and organizations around the world. The justice ministries in the CRC Canada office—CCG, CRWRC and OSJ—can't claim to understand this tragedy and the solutions that are needed, so we rely on the efforts of partners and friends to draw the church to prayer and action. We urge you to reflect, pray and act, using these excellent resources:

• Rev. Jerry Dykstra, Executive Director of the CRC, sent a letter to U.S. leaders asking for a stronger stance on peace. The letter and action items are available at www.crcjustice.org.
   
• Rev. Bruce Adema, Director of Canadian Ministries for the CRC, sent a letter to Pastors in Canada. Also profiled in the letter is a statement from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, a call to prayer and action to end the violence in Gaza.
   
• KAIROS has working partnerships in Palestine, and has assembled helpful action ideas at their website.
   
• The World Evangelical Alliance, affiliated with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, also has working partnerships in Palestine and Israel. Read their passionate plea for peace.
   
• Ernie Regehr, O.C., of Project Ploughshares, has written a great analytical piece here.
   
• And finally, the National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Rev. Susan C. Johnson, wrote to Prime Minister Harper directly from Palestine. Her testimony is passionate and important.

The intensity of media attention and international concern around the crisis in Palestine and Israel reminds us of a lesson that our community began learning around the Iraq crisis in early 2003. At that time too, there was 24-hour media attention, and wise and solemn pleas for peace from international organizations and church leaders. At that time, about a hundred folks dialogued about God's call to peace at a remarkable conference at Good News CRC in London, Ont. There we recognized that our concern about Iraq was genuine, but that our community had rarely given attention to the call to peace except in times of war.

This kernel of truth eventually led to a CRC Synodical study on peace and war. It also drives CCG's commitment to consistent and proactive advocacy for peacebuilding, and is behind CRWRC'S continued engagement with peace and development issues.

How does this lesson apply today? It's a reminder that our reactions to the brutal crisis in Gaza and Israel are important, but that our concern for peace needs to be consistent and active beyond crises. The CRC's efforts to develop a Middle East Ministry Team and partner with churches in the region is one good step. In our citizenship actions we can also act regularly for peace in Israel and Palestine, in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Congo, in Darfur, and in our own communities.

In this coming year, OSJ, CRWRC and CCG will be exploring the persistent call to peace with a set of stories and action ideas for citizenship for shalom. We hope this helps build persistence in the call to peace.

© 2008 Committee for Contact with the Government. All rights reserved.