A Belizean-born Episcopal (Anglican) rector in Canarsie, Brooklyn, who claims that he had skilled racism and discrimination when he and his household first moved to the Brooklyn neighborhood 40 years in the past, is now asking “what would Jesus do” amid the Israeli-Hamas Struggle.
Utilizing the acronym WWJD for “What Would Jesus Do,” the Rev. Canon George L. Bonner, rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, on Farragut Street in Canarsie, mentioned his response is that he’s a Christian and will solely see what is occurring by means of the eyes of his grasp.
“What’s occurring within the Center East at the moment is dropped at us stay, as we sit in our front room and watch nationwide tv,” Fr. Bonner, whose congregants are predominantly Caribbean, instructed Caribbean Life completely on Saturday.
“We see the devastation of your complete neighborhood,” he added. “Sure, there may be guilt on each side. How do you justify killing 1,000 harmless individuals to seize one?
“The message on a Christmas card reads, partially, as follows, ‘Is the world at the moment any completely different from the world by which Jesus got here?’” Fr. Bonner continued. “When Jesus was born, Herod, the king, slaughtered the harmless, with the hope of destroying the toddler King. Right now, each side are responsible of burning and bombing infants. Harmless individuals had been forcefully faraway from their houses; some murdered, others held as hostages.”
In retaliation, Fr. Bonner famous that “the houses of Palestinians are being demolished, all of their earthly possessions are destroyed.
“Hospitals are bombed, neighborhoods are levelled, numerous lives are misplaced, hundreds are actually homeless,” he mentioned. “There’s a great scarcity of meals, additionally water and medical provides.
“The center of the Christian needs to be bleeding on the sight of such a tragic image,” he declared. “It’s so unlucky that God’s youngsters can’t stay collectively in unity, particularly contemplating that these are all youngsters of Ishmael and Isaac, father Abraham’s sons.”
Fr. Bonner mentioned the Mosaic Legislation got here to an finish with Jesus, stating that, for followers of Christ, “it’s not a watch for a watch and a tooth for a tooth.
“Jesus’s new legislation is ‘Love the Lord thy God with all thy coronary heart, and love thy neighbor as thyself’,” he mentioned, including that “Jesus additionally mentioned, ‘Blessed the peacemakers’. We should apply what we preach.”
Fr. Bonner mentioned a number of leaders of the free world, “together with our personal, profess themselves to be Christians.
“When will they declare that sufficient is sufficient?” he requested. “Too many harmless lives have been misplaced; too many harmless households have been destroyed.”
Fr. Bonner mentioned there may be some parallel with what occurred in Jesus’s time and at the moment.
“Not solely had been the innocents slaughtered by Herod, however households, together with Joseph, Mary and Child Jesus, fled from Palestine to security in Egypt,” he mentioned. “Right now, the Palestinians would like to pursue a secure haven in Egypt, however that is denied them for political cause.
“For positive, Jesus is just not smiling, as He views the occasions of the previous month,” he added. “The hearts of the leaders on each side are hardened. They’re not in a position to really feel or care. Quite the opposite, the hearts of individuals the world over have to be bleeding.
“In a really shifting sermon by a priest in Palestine, he declared that racism, discrimination, injustice, the unwillingness to deal with others as equals are on the core of the violence and division,” Fr. Bonner continued. “The fitting to exist, the appropriate to vote is being denied to a specific group.
“The pastor’s, and our collective, prayer is that the day will come when the individuals of Palestine may have the appropriate to self-govern and the borders of their nation might be clearly outlined and revered,” he mentioned. “We pray that the dignity of each youngster of God might be revered.”
Fr. Bonner urged that we should proceed to dream of dwelling in a world that the Psalmist envisioned.
“Oh, how good and nice it’s after we can stay collectively in unity,” he mentioned. “As Christians, we must not ever hand over on that dream.”
Fr. Bonner mentioned he personally considers slain US civil rights chief the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to be “our Moses.”
“He had a dream; we should hold that dream alive,” he urged. “We’re additionally reminded to maintain hope alive. We should work to create a future and a greater place for our kids and grandchildren.
“As Christians, we should always remember that repentance and forgiveness are on the coronary heart of our faith,” Fr. Bonner mentioned. “We should love our enemies. We should flip the opposite cheek.
“One of many fathers of our Episcopal Church describes Christians as ‘loopy,’” he added. “Sure, we’re known as to do what others would think about to be irregular. Think about being requested to forgive 70 instances seven and to like our enemies.”
Fr. Bonner mentioned he was one of many pioneers, one of many John the Baptists, who paved the way in which for others to settle in Canarsie.
“That is God’s world; we’re his youngsters – all created in His picture,” he mentioned. “There may be sufficient for all of us. It’s so unlucky that we aren’t prepared to share.”
