Since the commencement of the current genocide in Gaza I have attended rallies in Canberra, Hobart, Perth, Margaret River, and The Entrance.
I confess that before October 7, 2023, (despite various prophetic voices telling me of the grave injustices being done to the Palestinians), I had somehow heard without hearing. I had even been to Israel and Palestine in the 1980s and seen without seeing.
One of the people who has helped me to actually see what is happening in Palestine is the Lutheran pastor of Bethlehem, Isaac Munther. I first heard of him in a podcast hosted by the indomitable Jarrod McKenna, The Cross, the Resurrection and Gaza. https://freedomroad.us/2024/03/the-cross-the-resurrection-and-gaza/
Since that time Isaac Munther has become one of the major Christian voices trying to rally support for a just peace in Palestine and he has spoken from pulpits and platforms round the world. Many of these can be found on YouTube. I was particularly impressed by his speech in September 2024 at the Riverside church in New York.
Practically Isaac Munther made a number of suggestions for Church Involvement.
- Call for a Ceasefire Now
- Call for a Weapons Embargo
- Make support for Israel conditional on respect for human rights instead of being unconditional as it is now.
- Recognize Israel as a settler-colonial entity – 800,000 Palestinians were displaced when Israel was created.
- Recognize apartheid in Israel and act accordingly
- Call for accountability of those who have committed war crimes.
- Understand that without US military and financial support and diplomatic cover this war could not go on.
- Address the poor theology in churches that has led to both Christian Zionism and conservative and liberal theologies that have forgotten the basics of the Christian religion of love of neighbour, and which has ended up supporting oppressive Colonial structures and empires.
- In particular support the students.
- Make alliances with others seeking justice for Palestine
- Think in new ways
- Praying for Peace and making a statement is not good enough
- Continue to talk about Gaza and hear the stories and know the names.
- The church belongs on the streets
In recent times, I have heard many Christians say that they feel powerless. Munther points out that in fact that there are many things that Christians can do. Perhaps more importantly, Munther’s actions are underpinned by a theology that is deeply aware of a Christ both crucified and risen, and of a radical love that by its very presence stands up to the violence and lies of empire. This theology in its simplicity and power, challenges not only the deeply flawed Christian Zionist ideology, but also the broadly liberal theology that has never come to grips with the ongoing colonisation enacted by current empires.
Isaac Munther’s latest book, Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza is an excellent book for those who want to understand deeply what is going on in Gaza and Palestine, and who want to base their actions on a firm theology.
Hopefully, if more Christians read it, I will see more Christians at the regular rallies for Palestine and actively involved in the work of peacemaking. Isaac Munther is often quoted by the Muslim speakers at the rallies. I would love for more Christian leaders to be quoting him publicly.
Len Baglow
