Palestinian Christian Kairos

Palestinian Christian Kairos

The Palestinian Christian Kairos document, “A Moment of Truth,” is a Christian Palestinians’ word to the world about what is happening in Palestine. It is written at this time when Palestinian Christians wanted to see the Glory of the grace of God in this land and in the sufferings of its people. In this spirit the document requests the international community to stand by the Palestinian people who have faced oppression, displacement, suffering and clear apartheid for more than six decades. The suffering continues while the international community silently looks on at the occupying State, Israel. The message is a cry of hope, with love, prayer and faith in God. Palestinian Christians address it first of all to themsleves and then to all the churches and Christians in the world, asking them to stand against injustice and apartheid, urging them to work for a just peace in our region, calling on them to revisit theologies that justify crimes perpetrated against our people and the dispossession of the land.

In this historic document, Palestinian Christians declare that the military occupation of their land is a sin against God and humanity, and that any theology that legitimizes the occupation is far from Christian teachings because true Christian theology is a theology of love and solidarity with the oppressed, a call to justice and equality among peoples.

The Palestinian Christian Kairos document is available at:  http://kairospalestine.ps/

A UCC and Disciples pastoral response to the Palestine Kairos document

Leadership of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ have issued a letter to the two churches, responding to the message of “A Moment of Truth.”  In their letter, General Ministers and Presidents Sharon Watkins and Geoffrey Black, and Global Ministries’ co-Executives Cally Rogers-Witte and David Vargas commend “A Moment of Truth” to the churches for study and consideration.

Their full letter can be read here: UCC and Disciples pastoral response to the Palestinian Kairos document, April 2010

They ask for our churches to commit to four areas of action:

• Commit to read, study, and reflect on the “Message of Hope” with your fellow church members;
  • You can read the letter here
  • A study guide is soon available. Check back for details.
• Commit to visit the region to learn more about the situation on the ground, and non-violent responses to it; a trip can be organized with the advice and counsel of our Global Ministries offices;
  • If you are planning a trip, or would like to, please be in touch with the Middle East and Europe office at 216-736-3230.
• Commit to advocate with the US government, the most influential outside party in the negotiations, beginning with participation in the Churches for Middle East Peace Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC, June 13-15, 2010;
  • You can sign up at www.cmep.org to follow legislative actions in Washington, and to receive advocacy alerts.
  • Register for the CMEP Advocacy Conference by clicking here: http://globalministries.org/news/mee/register-today-for-the-cmep.html
• Commit to support denominational partners in Palestine, which supports the Palestinian economy; and to avoid products that are produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
  • For a list of Global Ministries’ Middle East partners, click here:  http://globalministries.org/mee/partners/.  You can contribute to their work through Global Ministries.
  • For more information on settlements, click here: http://www.fmep.org/settlement_info
  • For information on products manufactured or assembled in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including Ahava Dead Sea cosmetics, click here: http://www.whoprofits.org/Involvements.php?id=grp_inv_settlement#grp_inv_settlement_1

Kairos news:

To read the response of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Pagan, who participated in a panel at the Kairos document’s release, click here A Moment of Truth: The Kairos-Palestine Document – A Latin American Theological Response

UPDATE (Feb. 22, 2010): Kairos Palestine statement: Injustice in Beit Sahour

UPDATE (Feb. 26, 2010): Kairos Palestine issues position statement on “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” 

UPDATE (March 26, 2010): “Come and See”: A message of hope and resistance expressed in the Palestinian Kairos document

UPDATE (June 2, 2010): National Council of Churches’ Summary and Guide for Further Study of Kairos Palestine: “A Moment of Truth”