We stand with the victims - Statement of the 2nd Session of the 36th Synod of the ECCB

We stand with the victims

On October 12, 2023, in response to the Hamas terror attack, the Synod Council published A Prayer for Israel and Palestine. The Synod of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren is now meeting more than seven months later. The Hamas attack, with its unprecedented cruelty, has surpassed previous terrorist attacks and revived the trauma of the Shoah among Jews. Israel's military response, on the other hand, is causing suffering to the civilian population of Gaza, many of whom are women and children. The conflict has also painfully affected Palestinian Christians.

In the face of the ongoing conflict and its victims, we ask ourselves many questions. We impose on ourselves a restraint when it comes to uncritical positions. Rather, let us look within ourselves for sensitivity and sensitivity to those who suffer on both sides of the conflict. We need to put a face to the victims on both sides and listen to their stories.

We express our compassion for all those whose lives are once again affected by the violence in Israel and Palestine, who are suffering or who are suffering the loss of loved ones. We appreciate the efforts of the humanitarian organisations that are helping the civilian population of Gaza and pray for their work and safety.

Last but not least, let us also remember with our support those who seek peaceful coexistence.  Specifically, we can show our support, for example, by taking up a collection for The Parents Circle, an organization that brings together Palestinian and Jewish families who have lost loved ones in the conflict.

The Synod invites the ECCB congregations to pray for all people affected by the conflict. Join us in prayer:

God!

The land so dear to you is torn apart by hatred and violence. The people who inhabit it are pitted against each other irreconcilably, radically, to the death.

We too are connected to this land and its people. What have we neglected? Is there anything we could have done to prevent things from going this far? What can we do now? We feel powerless...

God, help us!

We pray for those who are being held hostage by terrorists. We pray for those whose lives are in imminent danger. We pray for those who have lost their homes and are on the run. We pray for those who have lost loved ones. We pray for those who have lost their last refuge and sense of security. We pray for those who are afraid. We pray for the wounded who are not receiving medical care. We pray for the children who are not protected. We pray for the soldiers who are deployed to fight. We pray for those who have lost hope...

God, please speak to the hearts of those who decide the fate of others. Please help them to know when to retreat and when to fight, help them to know the line between wisdom and cowardice, free them from vanity and guide them to generosity. We ask for a sensitive conscience...

God, give courage to all who are torn by this conflict. Courage to preserve our humanity, courage to seek new hope.

God, help us to find ways to help the most vulnerable and to promote reconciliation and justice. And help our faith that all the earth is yours and all people are your children.

Amen.