Many church communities answered the call to reflect upon (prompted by Christian Aid) not to light the second Advent candle in solidarity with Christians in Bethlehem who will not be lighting up this Christmastide.
Last Sunday 10 December, the parish of St Michaels, Colehill gathered in a poignant service with pertinent words and meaningful music, lamentations and prayer, silences, and calls for Peace.
Revd Pat Clegg from Harnham lent her banner, made by Dutch supporters of Sabeel, the Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre in Jerusalem. It bears the word - VREDE - Peace; or freedom from war.
People, from various traditions, gathered at Hilfield Friary to contemplate the words of people close to the situation in a vigil, led by Canon Jonathan Herbert. Shoeless, they sat in darkness, around a heap of rubble and tried to share the pain of the warzone as best they could, before moving on to the common room for Middle East-style hospitality.
Rev’d Jonathan Herbert of Hilfield Friary said “We wanted to provide a space for people to come and sit with some of the difficult feelings provoked by events of the last 60 days in Israel Gaza and the West Bank, and give encouragement and add our prayers to those working for peace. It was particularly good to welcome Muslim friends to be part of the liturgy”
Sarum Concern for Israel Palestine (SCIP) participated in the weeklong TreeFest at St Thomas', decorating a Christmas Tree with a hundred keys; keys being the symbol, often seen in the refugee camps of the West Bank, that signifies the right to return to family property seized by the new state of Israel in 1948. SCIP also facilitated a Zoom conversation with Israelis in Jerusalem and the Hebron area to hear their views and recent experiences.
On Saturday, December 16 there will be another vigil held outside Salisbury Library. Calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank Palestinian territories.
