06.01.2009
North American Lutheran Bishops Proceed with Middle East Visit
A Unique Opportunity to Witness Holy Land Challenges, Says Palestinian Bishop YounanAMMAN, Jordan/GENEVA, 6 January 2009 (LWI) - Despite the continued conflict in Gaza, bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) are proceeding with plans to travel to the Middle East from 6 to 13 January.
A smaller group of seven ELCA bishops, including Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson, arrived in the Jordanian capital, Amman for a series of meetings with religious, community and political leaders, 3-5 January.
Hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) the North American bishops will meet with Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian religious, community and political leaders, visit congregations and schools, and sites of religious significance. The visit was scheduled months ago as part of an annual bishops' academy, an event in which ELCA and ELCIC leaders engage in theological reflection and study. They are accompanied by their spouses and ELCA churchwide staff on the visit which is intended to show support for the ELCJHL, learn more about the realities of living in the Middle East and advocate for peace.
"This is a tragic yet opportune time for North American Lutherans to visit their partners in Palestine," said ELCJHL Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan, also LWF vice president for the Asian region, in a news release prior to the visit. "With bombs raining on Gaza, they will have a unique opportunity to witness the challenges of living in the land called holy."
Hanson in a 31 December pastoral letter to ELCA members wrote, "In this very difficult time, the bishops hope that their presence can be a source of comfort to these partners and manifest support for these ministries."
"There was a lot of discussion about whether we should go ahead with the trip given the eruption of violence in the area," noted the ELCIC national bishop. "But in the end it was a simple decision to make. If we truly want to be a church In Mission for Others, if we truly want to work for compassionate justice, then now more than ever this is the time for us to visit the region and do our best to fulfill the goals of the trip - awareness, accompaniment and advocacy," she added.
In Amman, Hanson, Younan and six ELCA bishops participated in worship services on 4 January at the ELCJHL's Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd congregation.
"Tonight we come as leaders from the United States and Canada to publicly commit ourselves to pray for peace in the Middle East," Hanson told the congregation. He said he fears people in the United States view the Middle East in its complexity, which prevents speaking clearly for an end to violence, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, return to negotiations, a reestablishment of human rights, and for an opening of borders so that medicine and basic necessities could get to the people of Gaza.
The LWF president expressed appreciation for efforts by Jordan's King Abdullah II to stop the violence in Gaza, for sending humanitarian relief to people in Gaza, and for the king's respect for deeper relationships between Muslims and Christians.
The bishops plan to travel to Jerusalem today, where they will be joined by about 29 more bishops from the ELCA and four from the ELCIC, to continue their scheduled meetings with religious, community and political leaders in Israel and the West Bank through 13 January. (600 words)
(The ELCA, ELCIC and ELCJHL communication units contributed to this article.)
If you want to edit this article yourself and adapt it to a given format, follow our editing information
