Reflections from Gaza

by Philip Rizk
SojoMail 8-17-2005

Today, much of Gaza lies in shambles.

This week I visited a Palestinian family in the Deer Al-Balah region of Gaza. The family lives in a three-room apartment, if one can call it that. One small lavatory, a partly burnt-out kitchen, one room filled with a wall-high closet containing everybody?s clothes.

Twelve members in all. The oldest son is the primary breadwinner in this household. The father lives upstairs with his second wife and completely ignores the existence of his previous family below. In Deer Al-Balah 90% of the men require mental care; the primary causes of their suffering are 37 years of conflict, the high unemployment rate, and men's consequent inability to provide for their families.

If the current Israeli 'disengagement' does not lead to the opening of borders with Egypt, access to a harbor, or the reopening of the international airport in Gaza, it is merely a political smokescreen that will make the economic situation there more dire. Currently, Israel retains full control of all borders in and out of Gaza, making it nothing less than a big prison.

The true fear that dwells in Gazan hearts today is the inability to provide for one's family. The last thing the community in Gaza needs, now and post-disengagement, is an array of temporary aid in the form of Western handouts. Rather, this society needs to be empowered: The people of Gaza need their brothers and sisters around the world to come alongside them and build up their sense of dignity.

True investment includes the giving of our time and expertise. Such giving of ourselves will provide chances for Gazans to work in order to provide for their families.

In the wake of September 11 and the bombings in London in July, one often finds oneself asking, how do we interact with Islam? The thought of God become man is a heresy to Muslims, utterly irrelevant to the Islamic view of an immutable God. Such a hard-to-accept doctrine as the incarnation can only be communicated by living it out, by giving one's self as Jesus did. This is true witness. It was the witness of the early church.

True witness of God in us requires an incarnational approach of giving. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost led to a spirit of generosity within the church - a spirit of sharing and giving that was the most radical aspect of the early church lifestyle. Their new faith was not limited just to the church, or to one day of worship. This is true witness.

For too long much of the church has been an unquestioning supporter of Israel. I am not suggesting we stop supporting Israel as a nation - but we also must speak out against Israel's unrighteousness, just as the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Amos did. When the church continues to stand in full support of Israel without questioning the justice of its actions, the Muslim Arabs of this region will continue to identify the injustices that the Palestinians experience with the Western church. These injustices are completely contrary to Christ?s message of the love and reconciliation.

When the gospel of Christ is miscommunicated, it not only has consequences for the Arab church locally, but for the effectiveness of the global church. Our actions today will reflect on our future with the Muslim world. Gaza is at the heart of the conflict in the Middle East. We must invest in the future of our Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters in Gaza. If we do not walk alongside them to further their dreams of education and vocation, someone else will.

Now is the time. True change will be a long term project. It must begin now, but cannot be short lived.

Now is the time to pray.

Now is the time to act.

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Philip Rizk is an Egyptian-German Christian working with the Foundation for Reconciliation in Gaza.

This article was published in the 8-17-2005 edition of SojoMail, a free service of Sojourners Magazine. It is used here with permission.