Last week Arm in Arm and the Unitarian Universalist Church Social Justice Ministries Council held a peace gathering on the Common in response to the rising violence in Israel and Gaza. Since Oct. 7, we have watched as thousands of innocents, including many children, have been killed, while most hostages are still being held captive.
We believe that all people have the right to live in peace and security. As former President Jimmy Carter said, “We will not learn how to live in peace by killing each other’s children.” War is not the answer.
As Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback from Stephen Wise Temple said this month, “We are not responsible for the hatred of others, for their despicable behavior, for their murderous rage. What we are responsible for is how we respond.”
So how do we respond? The issues are complex and we have not lived the lives of Israelis or Palestinians, but we know that violence begets more violence. We are also aware that there are members of our communities who have family and loved ones who are being directly impacted by this war. This is the time we need to support each other and not be bystanders to the response we have seen in our nation of growing Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
Locally, we can come together as a community and not let rising tensions in the Middle East spill over here. We can support those who are grieving, protect those who may be targeted, and come together in safe places for conversations that are respectful and empathetic. We can hope and stand for peace where all people can live in a safe environment.
Come join us on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on the Common to stand for peace and the end to violence in Gaza, Israel, and elsewhere around the world.
Sharon Cronin, Sharon McCarthy, Suraiya Suliman, and Sarah Saleh
for Arm in Arm
Colleen Pearce and Ginger Kendall
for the Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Ministries Council
