Taking Israel’s side
The Mennonite Church USA resolution on Israel-Palestine is not anti-Israel. That is one of the first things advocates of the statement want everyone to know. They call it a third way, a recognition that...
[read more]To put love in action, Mennonite Church USA makes a list
ORLANDO, Fla. — For 3,200 people at the Mennonite Church USA convention July 4-8, “Love Is a Verb” was more than a grammar lesson. The week’s theme focused on the basic truth that Christian faith is...
[read more]Israel-Palestine statement takes a ‘third way’
ORLANDO, Fla. — Mennonite Church USA delegates on July 6 overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Israel-Palestine, confessing “our own complicity in this web of violence, injustice and suffering” and...
[read more]Support for resolution
We are writing to express our support for the resolution, “Seeking Peace in Israel-Palestine,” being considered July 6 at the Mennonite Church USA assembly in Orlando, Fla. We participated in April 2016 on...
[read more]Kraybill: An ill wind, or good?
The whirlwind appeared so quickly and came so swiftly toward us on the dusty road at Tel Dothan that I scarcely had time to take the lens cap off my camera. Then the little twister was upon us, blinding our...
[read more]Palestinian Mennonite seeks peace through respect
Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian-American who attends Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster, Pa., spoke at a New York City synagogue on Nov. 29. He spoke in favor of Palestinian nationalism — a message he...
[read more]Washington Witness: Israel’s status quo
After months of speculation about a United Nations Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements, everyone assumed it was no longer in the works when the Security Council seemed to wrap up its work before...
[read more]Balancing act
Staking out a middle ground in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict virtually guarantees a barrage of hostility. Angry words flew last month between staunch allies Israel and the United States over a United...
[read more]Opinion: Cruel checkpoints in Palestine
I joined Christian Peacemaker Teams-Palestine in 2002, where I wrote countless reports, met with State Department officials five times and visited 51 congressional offices — all resulting in little change to...
[read more]Couple take ‘pro-Israel’ stance against occupation
Aquifers in the West Bank, Palestine, hold enough water to supply its inhabitants, but distribution is controlled by the Israeli government. Most of the water is directed toward neighboring Israel and the...
[read more]First for divestment
The resolution on Israel-Palestine that Mennonite Church Canada delegates passed July 9 stands in sharp contrast to Mennonite Church USA’s failure to approve a similar statement a year ago. The U.S....
[read more]MC Canada moves in a new direction
Mennonite Church Canada delegates approved a proposal to shift the denomination’s emphasis from the national level to networking among area churches and created space for congregations with differing...
[read more]Scandal of nationalism
I remember it well, because the question was transformative. I was a first-year student at Hesston College, in the library studying to teach a lesson on eschatology to a junior high Bible study at Hesston...
[read more]Stand with Palestinian Christians
J. Nelson Kraybill fails to mention (“Coercive economic actions are ineffective in Israel/Palestine conflict,” March 28) that the Palestinian church is advocating for BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions)...
[read more]5 reasons we unquestioningly support Israel
Over the course of time I’ve noticed a troubling trend: it’s *almost* impossible to have a reasonable discussion with fellow Christians who believe we are called to give unwavering support to the modern...
[read more]Opinion: Coercive economic actions are ineffective in Israel/Palestine conflict
I share the longing of many others in the Mennonite church for an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and I grieve the suffering of Palestinian people. But I have reservations about the...
[read more]Christ at the Checkpoint Conference emphasizes peace
Bethlehem, West Bank — More than 30 Mennonites and Brethren in Christ from North America encountered kindred spirits March 7-10 at the fourth biennial Christ at the Checkpoint Conference, hosted by Bethlehem...
[read more]Sexual abuse among plain groups’ concerns
MILLERSBURG, Ohio — If plain communities don’t deal with sexual abuse among them, the state will step in to deal with the problem, and some freedoms may be lost. That was Chester Weaver’s sober message...
[read more]Why do we eat soup during Lent?
Why do we eat soup during Lent? The question from a church member caught me a bit off guard as I was scrambling to get a few things together for a soup and bread Lenten lunch that our church was hosting last...
[read more]Stay neutral on BDS
In the MWR conversation about joining or not joining the BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) movement, it was suggested that “whether or not we support divestment, we need to focus on investment in the work of...
[read more]Palestine: a time for peace, a time for action
As 39 students from across the U.S. and Canada entered the Church Center for the United Nations, my colleagues and I happily welcomed each of them to the Mennonite Central Committee U.N. Office’s 20th annual...
[read more]Israel’s occupation
I read “Injustice in Israel” (Dec. 21) sensing that the writers are soft-pedaling Israel’s occupation, suppression and abuse of the Palestinians. Many years ago 300 Israel soldiers resigned and were...
[read more]Invest in peacemakers
Two recent MWR opinion pieces on the Israel-Palestine conflict show the need to focus on where we agree. The first (“Resolution on Mideast Harms Efforts for Peace for All Faiths,” Oct. 26) linked the...
[read more]Bethlehem: beauty and brutality
The Sunday before Advent, I was preaching in Bethlehem. While there, a Palestinian friend I’ve known for nearly 20 years and who shares my appreciation for Orthodox icons gave me the wonderful gifts of a...
[read more]Opinion: Injustice in Israel
Consecutive issues of MWR carried opinion pieces speaking negatively of the nonviolent movement to oppose Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territory. “Resolution on Mideast Harms Efforts for Peace...
[read more]About Me
