Jesus Christ in the Rubble: A Cold Manger in Our Time

It has been 452 days since the war in Gaza erupted.   Statistics are shocking.  More than half of the fatalities are women and children among more than 45,000 of them in total, buried in the graves, buried in the rubbles of Gaza, or whose body lying on the ground waiting.  What the human race is losing, the longer this war takes, are lives, and the value of humanity.  People have mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, children, friend, etc.  Suddenly, by the strike of a missile or bomb, their loved one is gone.  In some cases, their loved ones are gone.   

When will this war be over?  I sometimes think, without weapons, people will not die that easily in masses.  I asked myself several times what can I do when I am here?  The Palestinians in Gaza died not only because of weapons, bombs, or missiles.  Technically, these weapons killed the majority of them.  The billion-dollar business of manufacturing weapons is an infrastructural and social sin.  It feeds families, puts children to school, and puts food on the table.  Those are not the reason for infrastructural sin but those instruments are used to kill in the battlefield.  The battlefield is in Gaza with people who are innocents.  These businesses are instruments to these thousands of fatalities.  For people to act on justice, we have to face the reality.  The people of Gaza are not only dying from starvation, injuries, lack of medical attention, cold, but indifference to stop the instruments from being used to kill the people.

On Christmas, Rev. Munther Isaac of the Lutheran church in Bethlehem in Gaza, spoke of Jesus in the rubble.  One-third of the victims are children and there are still children who are suffering from starvation.  Palestinians have been a witness of historical persecution, and discrimination. He talked about how the United States commercialized Christmas, displaying staggering lights.  People spend money and time on gifts, sometimes unnecessary while the country continues to send bombs and weapons to Israel.  Israel is by far the biggest recipient of military aid from United States.  Palestinian armed groups including Hamas took hostages indiscriminately while Israel also cut off electricity in Gaza.  Now, there have been 1.9 million displaced Palestinians with more than 45,000 killed and more as the people are under the rubbles of buildings struck down by missiles, thousands of people who have been amputated, disabled, and facing a dire threat of famine every day.  We know the story.  We can see this in the news from all media, conversations, and movements in universities, organizations, communities, etc.  Has this genocide been normalized and this war still continues to perpetrate before the eyes of world?

It has been more than one year since Israel defended itself against the Hamas attack.  People have left their homes forcedfully.  These people have been displaced several times.  Some are living on the streets or in tents.  On the other side of this complex situation, we, the faithful are praying for the nation's leaders to consider the immediate ceasefire, reconciliation, diplomatic talks, and arms embargo.

As a people of faith, we bring light to the world.  The following are just a few of the things that you can do to help with the situation in Gaza.

1. Write a letter to President, contact congressmen/representatives regularly about ceasefire, arms embargo and support humanitarian works.   
2. Write a letter regarding the concerns on US military support to Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid access to editors to newspapers you are subscribed to.  You can refer to this guide if needed.
3. Be aware of the companies benefiting from the war and the occupation.  AFSC's investigation on the matter is here.
4. Be aware of what is happening.  Free ebooks on understanding the Gaza here.
5. Raise awareness in social media and with your friends and family and write a blog about the situation Gaza
6. Support humanitarian organizations such as Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Palestinian Children Relief Fund, the United Nations Relief and Workers Agency (UNRWA), United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations World Food Programme,  Women for Women International, International Rescue Committee

Incarnate Word Sisters' Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) is coming up with an event soon to bring the Palestinian Canadian Physician, Dr. Abuelaish, a human rights and international peace activist, for a speaking engagement.  He lost three of his daughters, and niece in one incident to an Israeli shelling that hit his residence in Gaza.  He lost other relatives to this conflict.  Regardless of this painful situation, he continues to work for peace.  In his book "I Shall Not Hate", he exposed hatred as a contagious and destructive disease.  

We are eagerly looking forward to having you at this event to create a more just and peaceful world.  We are interested in hearing from you.  If you are interested in collaborating and supporting the event, please drop JPIC an email (jpic.office@gmail.com) or reach out to Sr. Martha Ann Kirk (kirk@uiwtx.edu).

• Demand a ceasefire by all parties to end civilian suffering - Amnesty International
• Tell Congressman to embargo arms, and weapons used in Gaza conflict.
• NBC News | Two young brothers in search of food join the crowds waiting outside the only functioning bread shop left in Khan Younis in Gaza. More at... | Instagram
• Donate to Help Children in West Bank and Gaza | Save The Children
• PCRF
• UNICEF, for every child
• UN World Food Programme (WFP)
• Palestine | Women For Women
• Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) | International Rescue Committee (IRC)
• Christ in the Rubble preach

Christ in the Rubble in Lutheran Church, Bethlehem on Christmas