I am in Palestine

An invitation to follow along from wherever you are

Feb 17, 2024

Never before has Kairos time (a right moment) been more evident than in the past few weeks. While prepping for my biggest book endeavor and its release in a few weeks, a far less glamorous but exponentially more meaningful invitation was extended to me — to be part of a Solidarity with the Suffering Delegation to Palestine and Israel. Truth be told, it is wildly inconvenient and strains some resources*, but when discussing whether or not I would accept, my spouse both felt the same way, "How could I not?" If we are connected online or in person, you know that I've been trying to faithfully and publicly live out what I believe it means to stand on the right side of history when it comes to what is happening in Gaza, and this is one more opportunity to do so.

If you're getting this message, it means that the delegation has safely arrived in Palestine and we have begin our time together. Sponsored by the Israel/Palestine Mission Network, this is a delegation of Presbyterians responding to an invitation from the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and Kairos Palestine. We are not here to speak on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Rather we are here to speak TO our Christian siblings, Presbyterian and beyond. To be clear, we're not here to save anyone or to get in the way; we're here to express solidarity, to learn from those doing the work locally, to amplify further what is going on, and to do our part to help move the needle towards an end to the suffering and violence.

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We will not share live details of our location and activities, but we will send updates and reports about what we see and hear during the trip with the main purposes of the trip during and after:

to express solidarity with all who are suffering in Palestine and Israel during this time of immense violence,
to demand an end to Israel’s genocidal bombardment of Gaza and an end to Israel’s systematic ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and the release of all Palestinian prisoners held unlawfully by Israel;
and to call for an end to Hamas’ acts of horrendous violence against civilians and the return of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

See full statement of purpose.

We hope you will join us from wherever you are and amplify the stories we share. For delegation updates, follow and subscribe to all of the IPMN socials (Links below). I will share daily posts, stories, and reels via @beyeschow on Instagram. I will also share longer reflections here for paid subscribers, but to build a bit of a buffer between me and the hate gremlins, it will only be available to paid subscribers (Get your 60-Day Trial Subscription).

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This may be the first time you know anybody who will witness firsthand some of what is happening in this part of the world. I covet your prayer for our delegation as well as for the safety of the region, but I hope that you not only pray, but also act up and speak out with courage and faith to remind your communities, your church leaders, and your public servants that the occupation, death, and destruction must end if liberation, peace, and healing are to begin.

Peace — Bruce

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