Lutheran bishop is visiting Israel and Palestinians
The Lutheran bishop for upstate New York is slated to arrive in Tel Aviv, Israel, early today as part of a delegation of U. S. and Canadian bishops continuing on with a nine-day tour of the Holy Land, despite war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
About 20 other bishops who had been scheduled to participate withdrew because of the growing tensions.
But Bishop Marie C. Jerge, head of the Upstate New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which includes Lutheran congregations in Western New York, went ahead with the trip.
Jerge was joined by her husband, the Rev. James N. Jerge, who is also a Lutheran minister, and 39 other bishops, as well as some staff members of the Lutheran Church. Prior to her being named a bishop, the Jerges were residents of West Seneca.
The delegation of about 100 people had been planning meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials, as well as visits to major religious sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
The itinerary, however, could change. Although planned as quieter times in the Middle East prevailed, the trip now is being described by Jerge as a “peace mission.”
“We have thoroughly discussed security, mobility, purpose and politics. It will be a different accompaniment than planned. It is likely that the itinerary will change on the ground. It’s also likely that some of the appointments we had will not take place. It may be that there are those who will try to politicize our presence,” Jerge said Monday in a blog posting about the trip.
The delegation is to meet with Israeli officials Thursday and with Palestinian Authority officials Monday. Members planned to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and Galilee, while also forging closer ties to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem.
They are slated to return to the United States on Jan. 16.
“The original purpose was awareness of the situation and accompaniment with people who live in difficult and often violent circumstances on a regular basis,” Jerge said. “It is clear that both of these goals can be accomplished in perhaps a deeper way than before. Advocacy will wait until we arrive home. We are praying that any creature discomforts that we have to manage . T. T. will not keep us from listening to and walking with our brothers and sisters.”
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