November 10, 2023
Conversations
I have been hearing about a number of conversations occurring in recent days in the Seattle area. An 11-year-old Jewish girl asked her mother why so many people hate her because she’s Jewish. Area colleges and universities have Jewish and Muslim students who are asking why their fellow students are considering them to blame for, or even supportive of, the violence in the Middle East. Both Jews and Muslims are being accused as being “unfaithful” for asking for a ceasefire and a return of the hostages. The Executive Director of Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity has tried to frame the conversation about the current war in Gaza about people and not politics, saying, “You can be pro-Israel, and you can be pro-Palestinian, and you can be against (violence) all at the same time.”
There is little debate about the facts, however. In the attack on October 7, 1,400 Israelis were killed and over 200 taken hostage. The response by Israel has led to the death of over 10,000 Palestinians. By the time you read this I am unfortunately certain many more will have been killed in this war, with countless others injured, deprived of basic human needs, or severely traumatized. Each and every one of these people, dead or alive, are and were created in the image and likeness of God, and loved by God. In my mind, there is little debate that the killing of innocent people is something that Christians cannot condone.
Last week I had a conversation with Rabbi Daniel Weiner. Although we discussed many things, there are two that I would like to share with you all. The first is how appreciative he and the congregants at Temple de Hirsch Sinai have been of the support our church has expressed to them. I was surprised to learn how little support they have felt this year that has seen their synagogue defaced and the attack of Israel on October 7. Second, Rabbi Weiner mentioned that for the first time those politically on the far left, have been unusually silent as they have been critical of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. While those on the far right promote conspiracy theories that accuse the Jewish people as villainous masterminds. He concluded by saying that many Jewish people, as evidenced in the steady stream of protests in Israel and around the world, have not been supportive of the current government in Israel. But the threat is not just to the state of Israel, but the Jewish people, a group of people who find themselves increasingly alone.
I suggest the conversation we as a church ought to consider, is “How can we be an expression of God’s love in a culture that tolerates hate?” Hate speech and violence against Jews, Muslims, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians—to name only a few, as well as violent acts experienced by these people, were on the rise before October 7. Next year will hold our next Presidential election. Since the start of this century, hate crimes have increased in the years a presidential election is held. How has God called First Covenant Church to be salt and light in the world in this particular time in history, with next year being an election year?
Regardless of the circumstances on earth, God is still God, and in this we have our hope.
~ Pastor Todd
RESOLUTION
One of the most well-known verses of the New Testament begins, “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). The intended meaning of this phrase is that God loves the whole world and all who live within it. Not some—or some more than others—but the whole world and all its inhabitants. And loves them all equally.
On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel with the intent of killing Jewish people. Among the goals of Hamas is the eradication of the Jewish people. The goal of eliminating a people group is neither new nor unique. Other contemporary examples would be Darfur, Rwanda, and Bosnia. These are all extreme examples of hate. But hate can also be found more subtly in bigotry and prejudice of many kinds, such as racism, nationalism, sexism, classism, and anti-Semitism. Our scriptures are clear that hatred and violence runs deep in both human history and human nature. They are equally clear that God is a god of justice, mercy, and compassion who defends the innocent, vulnerable, and marginalized.
Since this attack, the Nation of Israel has limited the quality of the people’s lives who live in Gaza, reducing access to some of the most basic human needs and holding them captive in their homeland. Even in a time of war, the basic protections for civilian safety seem to be disregarded. This too is unacceptable.*
We at First Covenant Church Seattle believe that any form of demeaning a person or people group—from slander to intentionally limiting their life’s potential to eliminating their lives—stands in direct contrast to the nature of God and God’s intended purpose for human life. We stand opposed to any form of treating human persons as “other than and less than us,” whether it be verbal, symbolic, or physical. Further we seek to embody the broad embrace of God’s love for all people by our lives individually and as a community, and we pray for God’s help to this end.
In the midst of a divided, violent, and often uncivil world, we claim the redeeming power and unifying and restorative love of God revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ has defeated all evil. Because of this, we pray God’s peace and justice will have the last word in this moment in history.
First Covenant Church Seattle Church Council
October 11, 2023
*Revised November 8, 2023