A Letter from Pastor Gene
This morning when I walked my kids to the bus, I didn’t need to worry about an incoming Hamas rocket attack, nor did I need to worry about an Israeli fighter pilot firing missiles. I didn’t need to worry that the lights in my house would work, the heat would keep us warm, that the water out of the tap would be clean, or that there would be dinner tonight; but every person in Israel and Gaza is confronting some or all those realities. In my humble opinion violence is never the answer and often hurts those who are innocent with the least ability to change their situation.
The declared war between Israel and Hamas has now killed somewhere between 1200 and 2000 people and injured thousands. In that total are some 326 children (according to Wall Street Journal reporting) and there is no sign of any of this stopping soon. It’s so easy to get caught up in the numbers and miss the larger picture. People just like me and you are trapped in a war zone and things are beyond terrible with mounting evidence of atrocities. In so many ways this feels like Ukraine all over again even though that conflict is still raging.
There are moments as a leader of a community where what to do, which lever to pull, and what request to make of your people just seems so difficult to figure out. As Christians, we’re naturally pulled in multiple directions here. Perhaps you find yourself solidly on the side of Palestinian statehood. Maybe you’re a person who stands fully with Israel. For me personally, it’s complicated. I have distant relatives who live in Israel, and yet I can certainly see how people like the Palestinians are deserving of statehood. But I also see how the actions of Hamas will only lead to death, despair, and destruction; I deplore the use of violence to achieve anything. However, the bottom line is that there is no way out of this for the people trapped in between the Israeli Defense Force and Hamas and associates. So, what to do?
In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ invasion Deacon Deb, I, and our Simsbury clergy have been in touch with our friends at Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation and we’re working on a way to show our support for their community. For some of us that will be helpful, and it’s certainly always good to be together in times like these (further echoing the early days of the war in Ukraine). Further, many of our Jewish and Muslim siblings are fearing an increase once again in antisemitism, islamophobia, and potential violence. As for me, mostly I’ve been praying a lot. What else can I do? Israel has seen conflict of this type since it’s inception 75 years ago. Bombs, bullets, and blasts have been baked into its DNA, but it doesn’t need to be this way. I want to encourage you to support the innocent people like you and me who are trapped in between. Pray that somehow, someway we learn that violence is never, ever the answer. Remind those that you speak to that love is stronger than hate and that while the arc of history is long it bends toward justice (thanks MLK). If you feel so moved, donate to relief efforts, write a Senator and demand that we work to help find change, and give a prayer of gratitude that you’re free to move around as you like during fall here in Connecticut.
Just last Sunday, we were reminded in Deacon Deb’s sermon of Jesus’ words regarding loving one another. In Luke 6:32-38 he says how easy it is to love those who love you but that it earns you nothing in return. In contrast, loving those who don’t love you, resisting the urge to judge, and not condemning will leave you with a “good measure” that will overflow your lap. As your pastor, I feel blessed each day to call Simsbury my home and honored to be your leader. But there are also days where I feel as ill-prepared as you to deal with the problems of the world and so I fall back on prayer and scripture. The words of Jesus comfort me, they encourage me, and they challenge me. In my fumbling attempts to love all people, I find the reward is indeed rich and I pray that if you choose to take up the challenge, you will too. Loving, even when it hurts, and praying till things change is an example we can set for our community and in so doing, make a difference.
OTJ,
PG