Read Romans 13.11-14
“It is now the moment for you to wake from sleep….” Rom. 13.11
A year ago, in December, 2009, Christians in Palestine presented the world with a document, calling all Christians to stand with them in confronting the oppression they are suffering under Israeli occupation of their lands. The document, “A Moment of Truth,” is called the Kairos Document—testament to the urgency of their appeal. Kairos is a Greek word meaning “time,” in the sense of an opportune time, a decisive time, a moment of truth.
For Palestinians, this is indeed a decisive time—for more than sixty years they have been waiting for resolution to their claims for land. When families fled from their homes in 1948, they locked their doors and took their keys, planning to return in a few days or weeks when the violence ended. They planned to return to harvest their olives and their lemons and apricots. Most of them left in a hurry, taking only a few belongings—old blankets for sleeping along the roads, some old pots for cooking or carrying water. They left most of their possessions—linens, dishes, clothing—safely locked in their homes, awaiting their return.
Now is a decisive time for all of us—President Obama began his administration with strong words supporting a peace agreement, strong words expressing respect for Arab rights. In early 2009, it seemed that it was a decisive time—that now something would finally be happening to bring resolution to the long-festering conflict. This fall we saw Palestinian and Israeli leaders meet face-to-face for talks. We have heard strong support from Secretary of State Clinton, strong words encouraging Israel to cooperate by freezing settlement construction.
Unfortunately, it has been all words and no actions. As Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem said when he was in Denver in September, “Enough dialogue; now it is time for action.” For seventeen years, the PLO and Israel have been negotiating, but there has been no action. Palestinians have seen no improvements in their daily lives; their situation is worse now than it has ever been.
Israel’s security wall is still being built; it winds around Israeli settlements in the West Bank, annexing lands for a buffer zone between the settlements and Palestinian villages. It is now projected to be twice the length of the Green Line, the border between Israel proper and the West Bank, which it claims to enforce. The wall is built, not on land owned by Israel, but on land owned by Palestinians—it carves up their olive orchards; it slices off pieces of their farmland; it snakes around water sources, making sure the water is on the Israeli side of the wall.
Palestinians stand at checkpoints waiting for the soldiers to recognize them and look at their travel papers so they can go to their orchards and tend their trees. Palestinian men are forced to lift up their shirts to show they have no weapons.
Photo: Waiting at the Bethlehem Checkpoint. 2000 Palestinians stand in line for two hours at the checkpoint in Bethlehem every morning, on their way to work. They must pass through checkpoints even if they are traveling to other parts of the West Bank. The wall totally surrounds many communities, forcing the people to go through a checkpoint to go anywhere, even to the neighboring Palestinian village.
The language Paul uses projects an urgency—NOW is the time for you to wake from sleep. The Palestinians know this urgency—enough is enough—NOW is the time for peace. NOW is the time for Israel to leave the West Bank. NOW is the time for freedom!
NOW, in this Advent season, is the time for Americans, too, to wake up—time to shout “Enough is enough!”
Gracious God, you are ever wakeful, watching over every one of your creatures. While we sleep, you are vigilant, protecting the weak, watching over those who suffer. In this Advent season, wake us from our slumbers. Stir us to move from words to action and join you in your liberating work. Amen.
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