The Reformed Church in America is one of the founding members of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and through her role as RCA coordinator for interreligious relations, Laura Osborne joined the CMEP board about a year ago. She was quickly caught up with their work to educate, elevate, and advocate for peace all throughout the Middle East. Much of the organization’s focus prior to this latest war in Israel has been on the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict and the Israel–Hamas conflict. The CMEP board had planned to take a trip to the Middle East about a year and a half before the current war broke out—and proceeded to do so in January. There was surprise from many that CMEP board members would be traveling the region at this time, but people the board planned to meet with were desperate for them to come, see, and hear what is going on.
Throughout their travels, the board members met with people to hear their stories and share CMEP’s priorities. The board’s top priorities are: an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages, humanitarian aid to Gaza, prevention of a wider conflict, and examining the root causes to determine a pathway forward.
The group spent a few days in Jerusalem and Bethlehem meeting with partners of CMEP and listening to the local people. Osborne joined up with the CMEP board in Jordan. The board met with local pastors, government officials from the U.S., staff from the Royal Institute of Interfaith Studies, and representatives from the palace in Jordan. In Beirut, the group met at two local universities and met with the Middle East Council of Churches.
“Repeatedly, we heard about the exhaustion and the frustration of continual war—and its heavy toll—throughout the entire region,” says Osborne. “We heard the heartbreaking stories of friends and family members being killed or displaced repeatedly. And we also heard hopeful stories of people doing the hard work of peacemaking. Amid widespread exhaustion and frustration in the region, God is moving and there is hope.”
Read more about the trip in this press release from Churches for Middle East Peace.
PRAY:
Individuals and communities all over the world are committed to dedicated prayer walks for peace this Lent. While you walk, take some time to pray for peace in the Middle East and elsewhere around the globe. Many countries are dealing with harsh conflict now, and the body of Christ needs to be praying. For information about Gaza-length prayer walks, visit https://www.gazaceasefirepilgrimage.com.
GIVE:
On their recent trip, Laura Osborne and fellow CMEP board members met with Rev. Linda Macktaby in Lebanon. JJ Ten Clay, RCA refugee ministries coordinator, has been working with Pastor Linda for two years related to refugee care work. Now, RCA Global Mission is raising funds to support Pastor Linda’s work in Lebanon through the Lebanon Displacement Project, which provides humanitarian aid to people who have been forcibly displaced, as well as those who have decided to stay in the war zone.
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