Thursday, October 10, 2024

SojoMail - Our empathy is asymmetrical. God’s isn’t

This week: Christian empathy for the Middle East, spooky films that invoke a call to action, and the significance of ‘public memory.’

Palestinians rest under the rubble of their destroyed house

Christians Must Confront Asymmetrical Empathy for the Middle East

Wes Granberg-Michaelson writes in this week’s SojoMail that it's hard to get past polarized rhetoric about Israel and Palestine — but we must try, for silence is complicit resignation to evil, terror, and calamity:

A callous, calculating cycle of lethal violence grips the Middle East. Its momentum seems unstoppable and could engulf nations beyond the region into warring conflict, with nuclear weapons — unused in any war for 79 years — on hair triggers.

Historians will dissect the complex web of events over the past century that brought us to this precipice in the Middle East. But in the U.S., particularly within the life and witness of its churches, our attitudes and actions have been afflicted with an asymmetry of empathy.

The present political and religious environment is both intense and toxic, making any judgements about Israel and Palestine perilous. Anyone who dares speak is immediately subject to interrogation, often followed by indictments of antisemitism, or religious zealotry, or blind ideological bias.

What can religious voices rooted in a commitment to God’s justice and peace say in this perilous moment? The answer, I believe, lies in the themes of biblical wisdom, which we know to be true in any time and in any context.

Read the full article

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MCC is hiring for a Representative for Mexico

This senior management position will provide full-time leadership and programmatic direction for MCC’s work in Mexico. Responsibilities include maintaining relationships with diverse partners and Anabaptist churches, monitoring projects, representing MCC to community leaders and the government, and offering leadership and support for all MCC workers in the country.

Countering Christian Nationalism in Good Faith

Eroding civil rights. Upholding white supremacy. These are just some of the threats present with the rise of Christian nationalism. On October 16th at 1pm ET, editors of Sojourners magazine and experts will join in a virtual conversation on how to counter these deadly beliefs. Go to the link above to register.

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