Love. Compassion. Truth. Justice.

I am committed to a spirituality and politics of love, compassion, truth and justice (as opposed to something that serves the interests of my family, my nation, my race or any other tribal identity). I believe that everyone is a sacred child of God, no matter where they live, who they love, or how they worship. So I cannot support what the state of Israel has done in Gaza over the past ten days – and what the state of Israel is about to do to Gaza in the days to come. 

I cannot bear to read the news of Palestinian people being uprooted and murdered while white Christians and white liberals pledge their full support for the state of Israel’s “right to defend itself.” Murdering civilians and cutting off all access to food, water and electricity has nothing whatsoever to do with defending itself. What this government and their military (with the full support of the US) have done for the last 75 years to the Palestinian people is reprehensible. 

I confess. I used to be one of these white Christians who supported Israel no matter what. Because my pastors told me that’s what the bible says we must do. But then I started studying the scriptures and the history of Palestine. I started listening to other people. I learned that what my pastors told me was totally whack. So I changed my mind. Now I stand for Something Else – even though it is unpopular. Because this is what love, compassion, truth and justice demand.