En god venn av meg har kjøpt et bedehus, ikke så langt fra der hvor jeg bor. I går var den nokså nystartede Gjøvik og Toten Israelsforening samlet der, for å be for Israel og Midt-Østen. Vi kommer til å komme sammen på dette bedehuset i første omgang, en gang om måneden for disse bønnesamlingene. Det var godt å be sammen. Vi ba spesielt for Jerusalem, og gjorde det blant annet ved å be Salme 122 unisont sammen: "Jeg gledet meg over dem som sa til meg: La oss gå til Herrens hus! Våre føtter fikk stige innenfor dine porter, Jerusalem. Jerusalem er bygd som en tett sammenføyd stad, dit stammene går opp, Herrens stammer, til Israels Vitnesbyrd, for å prise Herrens navn. For troner er satt der til dom, tronene som tilhører Davids hus. Be om fred for Jerusalem! Må de som elsker deg, få gode dager. Må det være fred innenfor dine murer, trygghet i dine borger! For mine brødres og venners skyld vil jeg nå si: Fred være i deg! For Herren, vår Guds hus' skyld vil jeg ønske det gode for deg." Deretter ba vi for enken etter den myrdede bibelselgern på Gazastripen, som ble kidnappet og drept med kniv og pistolskudd søndag,og hennes barn og alle de palesinske kristne. Vi ba for jødene som fremdeles oppholder seg i Landet i Nord. Fra min gode venn, lederen for European Prayer Link, rumeneren Ioan Peia, mottok jeg i går en inderlig anmodning om å be for nettopp Russland. Selv reiser han til Irkutsk og Novosibirsk på fredag og blir i Sibir-området frem til mot slutten av november. Der skal det nå arrangeres en stor bønnekonferanse, blant annet for å be om at man må finne de jødene som er igjen i Sibir slik at man kan få hjulpet dem tilbake til Israel. Vi ba om vekkelse i muslimverdenen, og for mennesker med muslimsk bakgrunn som har kommet til tro på Jesus. Og vi ba for og med hverandre. Det er fantastisk å kunne sette av noen timer en slik kveld, og kunne bevege seg over den ganske jord for å be for mennesker og land, uten å forflytte seg geografisk. Og samtidig vite at noe skjer når vi ber. Bedehuset på Breiskallen ble nettopp det i går kveld, et bønnens hus for alle folk. Det er det den bibelske forsamlingen er ment å være!
Bildet er en billedmontasje som viser israelske soldater ved Klagemuren,i forbindelse med seksdagerskrigen, etter at Jerusalem ennå en gang var kommet på jødiske hender. Det innevarsler en ny tid. Jesus snakker om at "Jerusalem skal være nedtrampet av hedninger inntil hedningenes tider er oppfylt." (Luk 21,24b)
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Protests greet American university ban on Desmond Tutu
09-Oct-07
Ekklesia
Students, academics, human rights campaigners and a Jewish peace group have protested loudly at the decision of the Catholic University of St Thomas, Minnesota, to cancel a campus visit by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, because he has criticized Israeli government policy.
St Thomas has received thousands of requests to reconsider its decision, say reports from the USA. The situation will now be discussed next week with Fr Dennis Dease, the university's president, explained a university spokesperson.
In a statement issued last week, Fr Dease defended his decision to oppose a plan by a local group to invite the South African cleric and activist in April 2008. University officials cited a speech Dr Tutu gave in 2002 comparing aspects of Israeli government treatment of Palestinians with apartheid in South Africa.
However Jewish Voice for Peace, a group based in Oakland, California, has helped organise a letter-writing campaign in support of Archbishop Tutu. Nearly 2,000 letters have been received by the principal so far.
The Jewish peace activists also want the reinstatement of lecturer Cris Toffolo as director of the school's peace and justice programme. Toffolo says her support for Tutu's visit was cited as a reason for her removal, but the university denies this.
Students have put up fliers on campus supporting Tutu. Dr Thomas Connery, a St Thomas communications professor and former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, called the decision not to invite the Nobel Laureate "a mistake." Theology professor David Landry called it "very regrettable."
Mordecai Specktor, publisher and editor of the American Jewish World, the weekly newspaper of the Jewish community in Minnesota, said: "The Jewish community can survive a speech by Archbishop Tutu."
Archbishop Tutu spoke in 2002 in Boston, USA, where he declared: “I have been very deeply distressed in all my visits to the Holy Land, how so much of what was taking place there reminded me so much of what used to happen to us blacks in apartheid South Africa.”
He cited the humiliation of Palestinians at road blocks, preventing them from getting medical treatment, the demolition of their homes and the censoring of media coverage.
“Have our Jewish sisters and brothers forgotten the humiliation of wearing yellow arm bands with the Star of David? ... And have they turned their back on their profound noble and religious traditions?” he asked.
Dr Tutu stressed his deep respect for the Jewish people, but noted that critics of the government of Israel’s violence are immediately “dubbed anti-Semitic. As if the Palestinians were not Semitic too.”
http://www.hcef.org/index.cfm/mod/news/id/16/subMod/NewsView/NewsID/1860.cfm
Religieus co-existence in Jerusalem
A Call for Co-existence not Desecration:
Sacred Scriptures, Sacred Places - A Sacred Trust for Peace
Bishop Munib Younan *
Jerusalem - The reality of Jerusalem and the Holy Land has taught us deep respect for the three Monotheistic religions so that we strive to live together in tolerance and mutual acceptance.
Despite any differences of doctrine or teachings there is a red line which we all agree can not be crossed. We all respect the Jewish, Muslim and Christian Holy Scriptures and Holy Places.
For us this fundamental principle of mutual respect for that which each religion holds sacred is inviolable. No person or group can be permitted to trivialize, destroy or besmirch these sacred things.
We are distressed and alarmed by the shocking allegations that in the U.S. Military Base at Guantanamo Bay and now here in Meggido and Nafhah prisons irresponsible persons have desecrated the Holy Koran.
We as a Palestinian Christians and our ELCJHL church, firmly denounce all such acts of desecration and violation of sacred scripture. The fact that sacred books are abused or desecrated in order to torture, pressure, humiliate or demoralize prisoners is an abomination. The dignity and human rights of all prisoners must be ensured according to the rule of law, human rights and the standards of justice according to Geneva Conventions. In equal measure the dignity and sacredness of the Holy Scriptures must be defended and preserved.
No one has the right to desecrate the sacred writings of any religion for any purpose. We therefore demand that the responsible authorities take the strongest measures possible to investigate these allegations and hold those responsible for any such violation of sacred trust accountable. In so doing they must redouble all efforts to prevent and eliminate religious abuse.
We are equally alarmed by recent cynical attempts to incite conflict by repeated threats to harm and attempts invade the precincts of the Al Aqsa mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem – the third most Holy Site for Muslims. Jerusalem must be maintained as a city shared by three religions and two peoples. As Palestinian Christians we stand to defend the sanctity of Al Aqsa for the Muslims and the Holy Sites for the Jews as well as to defend Christian Holy Sites for our faithful.
Authorities and Government officials must ensure that no one uses Holy Books, Holy Writings or Holy places to transform a political conflict into a religious conflict. As religious leaders we will not accept or tolerate such unholy manipulation, not in Israel, not in Palestine and not anywhere else in the world!
We are calling on the local and international community to vigorously oppose and stop the use of religion for hidden political agendas or aims.
We wish to make known to the whole world that Jerusalem shows that religious co-existence is possible, even in situations of political conflict. It is possible for the three Monotheistic religions to mutually respect the believers and Holy Places of each religion. We have a sacred obligation and divine call to work together to protect all Holy Places so that the Status Quo of the Holy Places remains intact and religious co-existence is upheld.
Our daily lives together in the Holy Land has taught us to defend and respect the Koran, the Torah and the Bible not to desecrate or diminish that which is Holy to our neighbours, our brothers and sisters of other faiths.
To desecrate the Holy Place or Holy Book of one is a desecration for all. To violate any Holy Place is an assault on all people of Faith. To insult the teaching of any is scorn the teachings of all three Monotheistic religions!
We pray to the Almighty God and call upon all adherents of religions, people of conscience, politicians, educators and people responsible in civil societies, that religious co-existence based on mutual respect and tolerance may continue in this Holy Land as a paradigm for the whole world.
* Bishop Munib Younan is the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land- Jerusalem.
http://www.pforp.net/editorial63.asp
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