Christians in the Middle East
Challenges In Mid-East Mission
In Section: Crisis Response
What can relief agencies do amid war?
By Alex Newman
Canadians watching current events unfold in the Middle East who are feeling helpless, despairing or angry are not alone.
Christian organizations focused on relief efforts are feeling it too. The war between Israel and Hamas has created one of the worst humanitarian crises on record, says Stefan Epp-Koop, senior manager of humanitarian programs at Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and churchbased agencies to end global hunger (FoodgrainsBank.ca).
Before the war Foodgrains didn’t operate in Gaza, but the scope of the crisis has led to at least two projects over the coming year. Currently Foodgrains’ response is valued at $3.3 million.
Projections made in December estimated 26 per cent of the 2.4 million people in Gaza would experience catastrophic conditions, over half would be in an emergency situation and everyone there would experience acute food insecurity.
"What keeps me hopeful is having partners who work tirelessly to help people in unimaginable circumstances."
"Those numbers haven’t been seen anywhere before," says Epp-Koop. "We’re doing what we can, but it’s made more challenging with all the restrictions."
Even though a second border passage opened in December, it doesn’t look like many supplies are getting into the blockaded Palestinian territory between Egypt and Israel. The logistics of purchasing and shipping food, and getting it across the border are difficult. Food purchased in Egypt must go through several checkpoints, then wait in a truck lined up to get across the border. Once into Gaza there’s limited warehouse space left, very little fuel and much of the delivery work is done by donkey cart, Epp-Koop says.
It’s hard not to despair when you see one catastrophe after another, he adds. "What keeps me hopeful is having partners who work tirelessly to help people in unimaginable circumstances. So if they’re not throwing up their hands and giving into despair, then neither can I."
At press time "no one" was visiting Gaza, Epp-Koop reported, but Foodgrains members Mennonite Central Committee Canada and Development and Peace-Caritas Canada are working on ways to get food in through their local partners in Gaza.
Recently Foodgrains approved projects to serve 21,000 people. That may not sound like much, but as Epp-Koop points out, "It’s another 21,000 people who won’t go hungry." As for long-term planning, it’s too early to know, he says.
What can Christians outside the war zone do?
In a word, "Pray," says Linda Haist of Burlington, Ont. She is interim president of Middle East Christian Outreach (MECO) Canada, a charity that raises prayer support and assists churches in Egypt, Lebanon and beyond (MECOCanada.ca). MECO also supports some ethnic Toronto churches and a Toronto network for Middle Eastern women.
Over the past 20 years, she’s heard church leaders in the Middle East repeatedly say, "They and their congregations wanted to know people were praying for them, that they weren’t forgotten. They also wanted Christians from other countries to visit them, to listen to them and to encourage them in their ministry."
Byron Rempel-Burkholder of Winnipeg, chair of Mennonite Church Canada Palestine and Israel Network (MennoniteChurch.ca/PIN), encourages Christians to go even further.
"We follow one who taught us to put away our swords and to support those victimized by oppression," he says. "We Christians in Canada must call for an immediate ceasefire, for massive humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and for a longterm negotiated peace that recognizes the right of Palestinians to live freely and equally alongside their Israeli neighbours."
Prayer for the Holy Land
A two-page prayer from the World Evangelical Alliance, available at Pray.WorldEA.org, includes the following section.
With the church through the ages, we look upon the Holy Land and pray for the peace of Jerusalem and salvation on the road to Gaza.
With thanksgiving we recognize that the Good News of Jesus Christ for all came first to the Jews, chosen from all the peoples of [the] world to reveal Your will and ways.
We pray now, as a global household of faith, for Your ways to be revealed in the land yet again. We ask for forgiveness for the ways the Jewish people have been hated and dehumanized in the land and worldwide.
We ask for forgiveness for the ways Palestinians, Muslims, and Christians in the land have been hated and likewise dehumanized.
We pray now, as those who declare that in Christ there is neither Jew or Gentile, for an end to hostility, freedom for the captives, judgment upon evil and those who do evil, the crumbling of ideologies founded in trauma and hatred, a new mind to discern a way for the peoples of the land to live securely together, and for all to come to repentance and a knowledge of the grace and truth for all in Jesus the Messiah, our risen Lord.
The WEA urges a strategy of prayer and action that reflects Christ’s love for all people.
Phil Wagler of Kelowna, B.C., is global director of the Peace & Reconciliation Network (ReconciledWorld.net). He agrees prayer and "a commitment to a just peace for all peoples" are essential.
Wagler’s network is a commission of the World Evangelical Alliance, which released its own statement at WorldEA.org. "The outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas has produced horrible levels of human tragedy, with no end in sight," it states. "Many of the world’s 600 million evangelical Christians have wanted to help, but their response has been complicated by divided loyalties with many Christians on both sides of the war-ravaged border and intensely held political views on each side."
The World Evangelical Alliance urges a strategy of prayer and action that reflects Christ’s love for all people, including sending aid to those in need in both Gaza and southern Israel where the war started in October with a terrorist attack that killed 1,100 civilians and took hostages, many still held at press time.
Wagler encourages Christians to learn about the history of the crisis and its theological roots. "Build relationships with people on both sides who are suffering and get beyond the propaganda. Don’t take sides based on eschatology. Jesus will come and must find us being people who do not support dehumanization of anyone, who see where love, justice and peace is needed (Luke 18:6–8) in the world for all peoples – even those considered enemies."
To help with what to pray, he recommends a Prayer for the Holy Land at Pray.WorldEA.org, newly released by the World Evangelical Alliance. Prayer must be for everyone, he says, "not just Israelis and not just Palestinians. Prayer must humanize both, name what is evil, lament and plead with God for intervention."
Giving is also important, Wagler says, and not just to the humanitarian aid response. "Give to peacemaking initiatives as well, and stand with Christians in the land who will be there long-term to heal."
He urges Christians to speak for the oppressed (the "hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, in prison" as Jesus describes in a parable in Matthew 25:35), calling political power away from violence.
"This will be a more faithful witness to and obedience to the Lord who will come again. And we cannot forget that as Christians we have Israeli and Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters who are being obliterated. This is our family!"
Alex Newman of Toronto is a senior writer at Faith Today.
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Neighbouring Evangelicals sign call for ceasefire
A number of regional evangelical organizations have signed a joint call to peace in the Holy Land, available since November at MENA-EA.org. Excerpts follow.
We remember that Jesus’ call to make peace came at a time of conflict, violence and deep division in the Holy Land.
We recognize our knowledge and understanding of the Holy Land and the Middle East is incomplete. We acknowledge the complexity of the geopolitical situation, historical grievances, and multiple perspectives of the people groups. We commit to listening and learning from the churches and people of the region.
We humbly seek God’s guidance as we pray for the Middle East so that we do not become desensitized like Jonah and disconnected from God’s plans to reconcile all people to Himself.
We believe the Church bears a responsibility to help break cycles of violence by helping people be set free from their desire for vengeance, and to work towards the flourishing of all people in the Holy Land and in the Middle East.
We mourn and lament the continued tragic loss of life in the Holy Land.
We call for de-escalation and the cessation of hostilities between Israel and different Palestinian formations and supporters, including Hamas.
We condemn the attacks on civilians by Hamas. Hamas’ acts of aggression are deplorable and despicable.
We note that Israel in pursuit of Hamas has caused more civilian deaths in Palestine. We condemn these further deaths.
We lament the indignity of displaced populations.
We call on Hamas to immediately release all hostages.
We condemn every narrative that dehumanizes ethnic or religious groups, and we condemn all forms of racism and antisemitism.
There were 18 signatories to the call at press time, including the Peace and Reconciliation Network, Asia Evangelical Alliance, Alianza Evangélica Latina, and numerous evangelical groups in the Middle East and Africa.
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March/April 2024
Cover
March / April 2024 Canada’s Christian conversation COVER STORY
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Milestones
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