ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 30, 2005
ELCA Presiding Bishop and LWF President: 'Stand With The Ignored'
05-156-JB
AMMAN, Jordan (ELCA) -- Christians cannot ignore hardships
faced by refugees -- including Palestinians -- or by children who
are suffering from hunger in places such as Niger or Darfur, said
the Rev. Mark S. Hanson in a sermon here Aug. 28. Rather,
Christians must stand with such people, often ignored in today's
world.
Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA), Chicago, and president of the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF), Geneva, preached on a text from the Gospel of
Mark at a service here at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. While
he spoke his sermon was translated into Arabic by the Rev. Munib
A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan
and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), Jerusalem, and LWF vice president.
Many of those attending were Palestinians.
Hanson, Younan and the Rev. Ishmael Noko, LWF general
secretary, Geneva, led an official delegation that visited
religious and government leaders in Jordan Aug. 26-29, on the eve
of the start of the LWF Council meeting in Jerusalem and
Bethlehem, West Bank.
The Rev. Samer Azar, pastor, Good Shepherd, presided during
worship. In Jordan Christians and Muslims co-exist in peace, he
said, opening the service. Though Christians are clearly a
minority here, "we are full citizens with full rights and full
responsibilities," Azar added. Good Shepherd is one of six
congregations of the ELCJHL.
Hanson publicly thanked His Majesty King Abdullah II, the
people of Jordan, government and ecumenical representatives, and
Good Shepherd members for organizing the LWF visit.
In his sermon Hanson cited a story in Mark's Gospel of a
leper who approached Jesus, begging for mercy. Such a person was
judged to be unclean and untouchable by society including the
religious community, Hanson said, but the man was courageous
enough to ask for Jesus' help anyway.
"I believe that we see in this leper an image of the church
today," Hanson told the congregation. "We are called as the body
of Christ to stand in solidarity with all of those ... the world
will ignore." In addition to refugees and children who are hungry
in Africa, Hanson included "Palestinians who are walled off from
their olive trees and their ancestral lands ... and Palestinians
who must go through checkpoints."
The LWF, ELCA and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church "stand
tonight in Christ before the throne of God's grace, and we plead
for God's mercy for all who suffer. We pray for God's peace. We
commit ourselves to work for justice, and we beg for God's
healing," Hanson said.
God's mercy and Jesus' compassion are not defined by human-
made borders, political barriers or religious boundaries, he
said. Through Jesus Christ, God stands with all people who
suffer, Hanson said. "That is the truth of the cross."
Different translations of the leper story suggest Jesus did
not respond to the man's request in the same way, the LWF
president said. One translation said Jesus responded out of pity
to the man's request and cured him. Another said Jesus responded
to the man's needs but with righteous indignation, perhaps at the
social system that excluded lepers, Hanson said.
The story has many meanings for Christians, particularly
Palestinian Christians, Hanson said.
"In Jesus' name we will hear and respond to their cries for
healing and mercy," he said. "We will ... bring humanitarian
relief. We will proclaim the Good News of forgiveness in Jesus'
name. We will offer our intercessory prayers for God's healing."
But in a reference to the Israeli separation barrier in the
West Bank, Hanson said, "I believe we are also called to express
our righteous indignation toward those who construct barriers and
define boundaries which isolate and exclude people. We must
express anger toward those who use violence to terrify people.
With evangelical resistance we must say no to walls of
separation, and must turn those walls into tables of
reconciliation."
The State of Israel has said it built the barrier for
security and to stop terror attacks; Palestinians say the barrier
unfairly separates them from their own families, schools, jobs
and property. The LWF and ELCA have both said construction of
the barrier must be halted and removed where it is placed on
occupied Palestinian territory.
Hanson recalled a phone conversation with Younan some two
years earlier during a particularly difficult time. In that
conversation, Hanson told the congregation, Younan told Hanson
that Muslim and Christian children must learn how to live
together without violence and that Palestinians must act as if
they are free in the midst of occupation.
"We are called to be instruments of God's peace, to live as
if we are free even in the midst of occupation," Hanson
concluded. "We are called to stand at boundaries and barriers
and to have compassion and demand justice. We are sent as
ambassadors for Jesus Christ and the ministry of reconciliation.
In the name of Jesus we are forgiven and free."
LWF Delegation Visits Political Leaders
The LWF delegation visited Jordanian political leaders Aug.
28. In those meetings the LWF leaders shared common concerns and
learned of this country's dedication to religious diversity.
+ In a discussion that lasted more than one hour, His Royal
Highness Prince Ghazi, personal envoy and special advisor to King
Abdullah, spoke frankly of the situation in Israel and the West
Bank, emphasized the Royal Family's interest in peaceful
relations between Muslims and Christians, and sought formally to
work with Lutherans to promote greater understanding.
"We really do welcome your visit here," Prince Ghazi said,
noting that he had carefully studied LWF and ELCA statements on
the Middle East. For example, Ghazi said Jordan is particularly
concerned about the West Bank separation barrier which makes a
two-state solution between Palestinians and Israelis impossible.
The prince proposed a Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition,
which attempts to avoid "a clash of civilizations" and
depoliticizes religion.
There is a growing awareness among Muslims that there needs
to be dialogue with Christians and others, he said. Education is
also important for Muslims to promote greater understanding with
others. Seven "principles" of emphasis for Muslims the prince
highlighted were: no terrorism, no offensive jihad, good
citizenry, the possibility of democracy, respect for religions,
human rights and women's rights, he said. "Those are seven
issues we think we can deliver through education," he said.
Prince Ghazi said there are common beliefs that Muslims and
Christians can discuss, and proposed working with Lutherans to
promote such understanding.
+ Akel Biltaji, advisor to His Majesty the King,
complimented the LWF leaders for working for peace between
Israelis and Palestinians. "Jordan prides itself to be the
sunrise of faith," Biltaji said. He noted that the three
Abrahamic religions -- Christianity, Islam and Judaism -- all
have roots in Jordan.
"The Muslims and Arabs in this part of the world ... are the
believers of Jesus," he said. "We (place) immense value in
Jesus. This is the message I carry to the world. We want people
to know this."
"We are honored to be servants and custodians of the Holy
sites," he added. Among them are Mt. Nebo, the place of Moses'
death and from which he saw the "promised land" he could not
enter, and Jesus' baptismal site.
+ Prime Minister Adnan Badran emphasized Jordan's need to
educate its children to respect differences in ideologies,
religions and cultures. "We have to go back to the roots of
education, to respect each other, our views, our religions," he
said. Dialogue is very important, too, he said.
Hanson responded that's why the Lutherans are committed to
keeping their schools open in the ELCJHL.
Badran added that his government emphasizes with its
partners, including the United States, that it believes in
building peace in the Middle East.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
