Advent – Christmas Day: An Advent Journey of Courage
December 25, 2024
Isaiah 62:6-12 Psalm 97 Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:1-7)
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon
How often in the world today fear prevails. From a young child unwilling to jump into the deep end of a swimming pool to an adult unwilling to admit vulnerability at experiencing an emotional wound, lest they acknowledge the pain existing at a much deeper level.
Now, at the end of 2024, a more severe fear exists – will the bombings, mass killings, and decimation of Gaza ever be brought to an end? How can the world allow the humanitarian crisis to continue and food to be used as a weapon of war? If there ever does come to be a lasting and comprehensive ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, will any of the hostages be left alive?
What kind of future will Palestinians have after decades upon decades of occupation and oppression, and how might they be able to have joy and hope for a future? How will Jews around the world ever really know safety and security, especially when the State of Israel has acted with such absolute impunity and such blatant disregard for Palestinian humanity and life? How will Palestinians ever recover from the toll of human loss and violence perpetrated upon them? How will Israelis ever feel safe after the horrors of October 7th? How will Americans – especially Christians – ever wash away the stain of our complicity and silence as the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians continues?
There is much to fear on this Christmas morning.
Enters the child in a manger – a rock cave nestled in a shepherd’s field – on the hillside of Bethlehem. Emmanuel, God with us, the Christ-child is born. The prophets foretold the Messiah – the long-awaited anointed one – for hundreds of years. One who would free the people of God as the great deliverer connecting humanity to God by allowing himself to be born on this earth as the Savior of the World.
For me, Christmas this year has more deeply rooted power than ever before. Hope against hope, light amid the darkest hour my lifetime has seemingly ever known. And yet – God has not abandoned the world. Christ still comes in our Advent memory and celebrations – and we wait for Him to return.
How do we enter into the hope of the Advent Season? We remember the world is not ours to save – because the Savior has already come. We have the courage to do all we can – every day – to not ignore the suffering and to intervene and take action. We give witness to the traumas committed – every day for the past 446 days – since the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023 – and in the past decades of occupation and the last century of war and violence in historic Palestine and modern-day Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, and throughout the Middle East.
Have courage! Do not turn your eyes away. Might God give strength to allow all of us to listen to the accounts of those who have suffered – their pain and their loss, their broken dreams and hopes for the future, the story after story of life interrupted, loved ones killed, and the profound effects of hunger, destruction, war, and violence. Have the courage to give witness to each and every life lost by learning about their life, interests, and passions. Giving witness can be painful, heart-wrenching, and profoundly healing – for the families of those killed – and also as a reminder to us that humanity will continue to triumph and evil will not win at the end of the day.
Allow the love of Christ to soften and expand our hearts and capacity. Christmas reminds us that love breaks through regardless of the circumstances. There are no earthly forces too powerful or unwieldy for love not to overcome. Be inspired by the resilience of the Palestinian people who today, in Gaza, are a light to the world in their steadfast persistence. They continue to live! The imago Dei (image of God) in every person in Gaza shines through when we see the community coming together to feed one another in soup kitchens. The insistence on finding joy – even as bombs have dropped daily for more than 400 days – in having a circus to bring joy to children and all! The power of people to not be broken – even when the decimation of the body, soul, and earth is unprecedented – should inspire the world that humanity remains full of life, love, and spirit. The world has failed the people of Gaza – but they continue to have courage.
May those on all sides of the conflict inspire us to ardently, unwaveringly, and persistently – each and every day call for an end to the atrocities and the ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people … for the sake of Palestinians, and all of us. The violence perpetrated against Palestinians, especially in Gaza and everywhere, is a stain on humanity.
Courageous people from all over the world – including Jewish people and Israelis – are boldly standing tall, shouting loudly, marching for an end – advocating and saying, “ENOUGH! END THE ATROCITIES!” We at Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) continue to demand a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire – the laying down of all weapons and an end to all violence. We call for immediate and adequate humanitarian assistance into Gaza, the release of all hostages and prisoners held unjustly in Israeli prisons, and that the decades-long core causes of the conflict be addressed through negotiations and a permanent settlement that will bring an end to the military occupation of the Palestinian people and allow for all to live in peace, self-determination, and security in the decades to come.
Join us! This Christmas – do not be silent – but engage. Take action this month and through Orthodox Christmas through our Advent Not Arms Campaign. Read the international bishops and executive leaders’ letter from more than 40 countries calling for an end to arms to Israel. You can sign the petition to your elected members of Congress. Watch the profound international vigil with global bishops from around the world calling for the withholding of weapons and an end to war. See our FAQ about Arms Sales to Israel to learn more. Consider becoming a partner in our work through volunteering, praying with us, joining our donor engagement team, becoming a monthly sustaining donor, and advocating for new realities in Palestine, Israel, and throughout the Middle East.
Hold onto hope and courage this Christmas – for Christ, the Prince of Peace, has come!
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon is the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). Cannon formerly served as the senior director of Advocacy and Outreach for World Vision U.S. on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC; as a consultant to the Middle East for child advocacy issues for Compassion International in Jerusalem; as the executive pastor of Hillside Covenant Church located in Walnut Creek, California; and as director of development and transformation for extension ministries at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. Cannon holds an MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary, an MBA from North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management, and an MA in bioethics from Trinity International University. She received her first doctorate in American History with a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the University of California (Davis) focusing on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine and her second doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary. She is the author of several books including the award-winning Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World and editor of A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Leadership Magazine, The Christian Post, Jerusalem Post, EU Parliament Magazine, Huffington Post, and other international media outlets.
Response by Destiny Magnett
As we celebrate the glorious arrival of the Prince of Peace on Christmas morning, we are reminded that hope is alive in each of us. The miracle of Jesus reminds us that even in the darkest of times, there is hope. This Christmas, and in the season ahead, may we strive to embody hope through our actions. Let us continue to bear witness to the suffering of the world with softened hearts. Let us continue to use our God-given gifts and talents to speak out, march, write, and work towards justice for the Holy Land in our families, churches, communities, and each of our corners of the world. In doing this, we remain steadfast in our belief that peace is possible and justice will prevail.
My Christmas morning prayer is this:
Glorious God, as we celebrate the arrival of the Christ Child, we praise You. We rejoice in your love for us, shown brightly in the gift of Jesus Christ to our world, and give thanks for the glimmers of hope shown to us this year that have been lights in the darkness.
God, alongside our praise on this day, there is also lament for the pains of the world. We weep with those in Gaza who have suffered such atrocity and violence over the past fifteen months. We mourn with the hostages and their loved ones, and all those living with grief and uncertainty. We hold close to those living in fear and those feeling dejected and forgotten in the Holy Land. Lord, show your mercy to each of them, and bring them comfort.
On this Christmas Day, and in the year ahead, we ask for courage. Courage to not look away from the suffering, but to bear steadfast witness; Courage to continue on in the face of tremendous hardship, taking a lesson from Palestinian ‘sumud;’ Courage to love each other better, and especially to love those who we may construct as “other” or “enemy.” God, we know cannot do these things alone– and through you we draw our strength.
For these things we pray, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace,
Amen.
Destiny Magnett is the Programs and Outreach Manager at Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) where she serves as the primary liaison for church partners, collaboratively builds CMEP’s online and in-person programming, and co-leads the regional coordinator program. Destiny holds a Master of Theological Studies Degree and Religion & Public Life Certificate from Harvard Divinity School, where her work focused on decoloniality, religious ethics, peacebuilding, and religion in the public sphere. She also holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Grinnell College. Prior to joining CMEP, Destiny has experience working at the intersection of religion and peacebuilding in a variety of spheres, including the Office of International Religious Freedom at the U.S. Department of State, Search for Common Ground– Jordan, Harvard’s Office of Religion and Public Life, and on the digital humanities project Mapping Islamophobia. While born and raised in Kansas, she is now based in the Boston area.