From The Desk of Deacon Judy
Resilience
Gardening is not my gift. Oh, I plant seeds and plants and bulbs and hope that God will nurture them and allow them to grow. Weeds seem to dominate, however. They start innocuously and then grow and grow and before I know it, they have taken over the garden.
When a gorgeous white amaryllis emerged a week ago, I was astonished. I then remembered that I had planted Easter lilies in past years and wondered if they too were coming up. As I looked closely, I saw that the oppressive weeds were covering the lilies which kept insisting that they would come up and bloom. I cleared those pesky weeds and am enjoying the new life that Easter lilies bring. I realized that this is a profound metaphor for resilience.
Resilience was the theme that Archbishop Hosam shared with our AFEDJ Board this past weekend. The Christian witness of the leaders of the humanitarian ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem shines brightly in the oppressive darkness of the obstacles they face daily in the current chaos and conflict in the land of the Holy One.
After two missiles attacked Ahli Hospital in Gaza on Palm Sunday, destroying several departments of the hospital, the faithful, competent hospital staff re-opened the hospital the next day and continued their ministry, offering hope and healing. Since the recent war began, missiles have struck the hospital five times, yet this Christian hospital has remained open, welcoming all for medical care and sometimes simple shelter. Archbishop Hosam commended their amazing resiliency.
The vocational school, the hospital, the churches, and the schools in the West Bank face difficult challenges as well. The checkpoints, the settler violence, the restricted movement of personnel, patients, students, and supplies add burdens to the important work of these ministries, yet the Christian leaders persevere, following their call to love and serve with the gifts they have been given. They too are resilient.
In one of our gatherings we prayed Psalm 122. I offer these verses for a prayer today and always:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls and quietness within your towers. For my brethren and companions’ sake, I pray for your prosperity. Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek to do you good.” (Psalm 122: 6-9)
May this prayer for peace extend throughout the land of the Holy One, as we also pray for God’s perfect peace in our hearts, in our nation, and in the world.
Eastertide Blessings,
Judy Q+
