ELCA Assembly Hears From Lutheran Bishop of the Holy Land

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- According to the Rev. Munib A. Younan, the
road to peace in the Middle East is not through Baghdad but
through Jerusalem. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, spoke Aug. 9 to the 2007
Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA).
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, met here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall. About
2,000 people participated, including 1,069 ELCA voting members.
The theme for the biennial assembly was "Living in God's Amazing
Grace: Thanks be to God!"
In his message to the assembly, Younan said it "is time that
the U.S. government recognized that it would be in its best
interest to become an honest broker" in the Middle East conflict.
Some people say that the church "shouldn't meddle in
politics" when it works for justice and peace "in our land," said
Younan. But, "it is the Lord and Savior himself who taught us to
speak out on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized, to care
for humanity and speak for justice."
Working for justice is an integral part of the church's
spiritual struggle to liberate humanity from any evil that
violates human rights, said Younan. "Working for justice is not
political to me, it is biblical and spiritual."
Younan thanked members of the ELCA who have traveled to the
Middle East, their zeal for justice and support for educational
and ecclesiastical work, support for the Lutheran World
Federation's (LWF) work on behalf of Palestinians, and leadership
in the Mount of Olives Housing Project -- a project to build 84
housing units for Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem on land LWF
has owned since 1950. The homes will be located adjacent to
Augusta Victoria Hospital, which the LWF administers. The LWF is
a global communion of 140 Lutheran churches representing 66.7
million Christians.
"I call on all religious leaders -- Christians, Muslims and
Jews -- to become our allies for justice and humanity," said
Younan. "No religion has a monopoly on hate or extremism. It is
time that religion become part of the solution rather than part
of the problem."
Younan told the assembly that the separation wall, located
in the West Bank, is "not a sign of justice and peace." The wall
"does not provide security, it breeds despair and a culture of
separation." Younan said he has "no doubt that the separation
wall in the Holy Land will one day fall."
Many people have asked what they can do to help, said
Younan. People can help through education, prophetic interfaith
dialogue and continuity of Christianity in the Holy Land.
"Christians are leaving because of the unstable political
situation, the harsh restrictions of the occupation and the loss
of hope in a just peace. We are now less than 2 percent of the
population."
Younan said 2007 marks 40 years of occupation. "Forty years
of wilderness is enough for both Palestinians and Israelis,
indeed for the whole world." The Lutheran church "calls (for)
the Palestinian state (to) be a modern, democratic, secular,
civil society and live in peace with justice alongside Israel, so
that both nations will become a light to the world."
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Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at
http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog