God, be there.
Pastoral Message from Bishop Anne Edison-Albright on the Conflict in Israel and Palestine
October 9, 2023
Dear ones,
On Saturday we woke up to news of Hamas air attacks on Israel and retaliation from Israel on Hamas. In the days since, the violence has escalated, with heavy losses of life, and even wider spread loss of all the things that make life possible: sleep, shelter, safety, normalcy, and access to basic necessities. Our neighbors with ties to this region–Jewish, Muslim, and Palestinian Christian neighbors nearby and all over the world–are feeling the impact of these events in profound ways.
We are impacted, too, and connected as members of the Body of Christ. Many of us are wondering about how to pray and offer care for the people we know and love by name–the family of Pastor Niveen Sarras, people we have met on travels to the Holy Land, our friends and siblings in Christ in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land–and also for the people we don’t know by name, but who God names, knows and loves.
The long history and complexity of this conflict can make it difficult to find words. Our ministry partners–who are deeply connected to or located in Israel and Palestine–are offering resources to help us better understand their context and to accompany them in prayer.
Statement from Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar on behalf of our siblings in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
Statement and prayers, Lord, Have Mercy: Prayers to End Violence and Prayers for Peace from Churches for Middle East Peace
The patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem, Statement - United in a Call for Peace and Justice amidst Unfolding Violence.
On Saturday night I checked in on the news and wanted to pray. The prayer of my heart was: God, be there. God you are there. I prayed this thinking about the people impacted by the conflict between Hamas and Israel, and I also prayed trusting and knowing that God doesn't forget people experiencing war and disasters in any part of the world–God's love is bigger than the limits of my prayers. I found myself drawn–as I often am–to one of the prayers in our service for Night Prayer. The liturgy begins on p.320 in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. I will pray it again tonight, too, and I invite you to pray with me.
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work or watch or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, comfort the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
Bishop Anne Edison-Albright
East Central Synod of Wisconsin
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
