Broken, grieving, sometimes confused, often afraid, and complicit, we struggle to know how to respond. Today marks one year since the horrific escalation of violence in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem; over the last several days, we have witnessed escalation of violence in the region with attacks on Lebanon and from Iran to Israel. As a church, we know the power of gathering in community in prayer and in action, and so we continue to pray and act for just peace in the region.

Scripture tells us God requires us to “do justice.” The United Church’s commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli partners demands that we find the courage to do justice: seek right relations; stand with the oppressed; speak truth to power, especially when it is costly; and uphold the dignity of all people—who are all created in God’s image.

Palestinian and Israeli partners remain steadfast in their commitment to justice, and persistent in calling the church to act. As a church, we hear these calls as reflections of the gospel imperatives for costly solidarity and speaking truth to power.

We have often failed to be truly faithful to this call in our responses to the decades-long oppression of Israel’s illegal occupation; the war crimes of Hamas on October 7, 2023; the current genocidal violence of the Israel Defense Forces against the people of Gaza; and the bombing and forced expulsions of Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. We are also deeply concerned about the most recent escalation of violence in Lebanon.

The regionalization of the war to Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria, and from Iran against Israel, is a result of the moral failure of the international community; many countries continue to put profit and political expediency above respect for all life. The alarms warning those in the Middle East to seek shelter from bombs and missiles are also a warning to the international community, including the church: silence and inaction is complicity.

We call the church to prayer and action. We pray for all those who are grieving the deaths of loved ones, for those who wait for the release of captives, for those who are injured in body and in heart. Guided by the church’s justice principles, we reiterate our calls for:

• an immediate and sustained ceasefire in:
  • the war on Gaza;
  • the escalation of bombardments of Lebanon;
  • missiles into Israel, and
  • other armed attacks within Occupied Palestinian Territory;
• the immediate and unconditional release of all captives held by Hamas and by Israel;
• all countries to hold the region accountable under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law and a comprehensive two-way arms embargo on Canada’s trade with Israel;
• immediate, unhindered humanitarian access to all Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza, and to Lebanon;
• suspension of Canada’s diplomatic relationship with Israel until Israel abides by all relevant rulings of the International Court of Justice, including an immediate end to Israel’s illegal occupation, so a just peace can begin.

The laws put in place at the end of World War II were meant to ensure the rights and protection of civilians and to govern the obligations of state powers and their militaries in times of armed conflict. Our commitment to seeking justice calls us to costly solidarity with our partners, to challenge impunity and to hold the powerful to account.

And so, with KAIROS Canada and our partner Wi’am, our partner in the West Bank, we proclaim that “Our hearts beat together…we ‘yearn for a shared future where children, youth, women, and the community at large can grow up free from fear, violence, and oppression.’ And we amplify Wi’am’s call to Canadians and our government ‘to stand with us, not just in words, but also through decisive actions which forward peace, justice, and unequivocally denounces injustice, and promotes human rights, human dignity, and life’” (KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives(opens in a new tab)).

We live and act in hope and wait for a time that “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

Liturgical Response for October 7

Today, October 7, with many around the world, you are invited to join in prayer for peace in Israel and Palestine. Consider using seven candles, and using these words (or something similar) followed by a brief silence before lighting each candle. 

We remember the over 40,000 people who have been killed on and since October 7, 2023. We mourn the atrocities of war. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember those who are separated by force from loved ones—prisoners, hostages, and detainees. We remember those whose human rights and freedoms are violated daily. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember the people who have lost their security, homes, and communities in this war. We remember the more than 1 million Palestinians who are displaced and without a home. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember the uncomforted tears, the deep longings for peace, the prayers of lament that cannot be expressed in words, brought on by the horrors of war. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember the lush lands, the fields that can no longer be harvested, the livestock unattended, and the destruction of creation caused by war. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember those who mourn and are grieving while still living in devastation. We remember children who do not have safe spaces to play, learn, and grow. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember the peacekeepers, the human right defenders, the justice seekers, and all those who have sacrificed to provide much-needed humanitarian aid. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We gather these prayers, with kindred in the Holy Land and around the world, together with the prayer that Jesus taught us:

Our Creator/Our Father…