Israel-Palestine: For Human Values in the Absence of a Just Peace | Page 38

Israel-Palestine: For Human Values in the Absence of a Just Peace

attention to promoting its values—the dignity and worth of all persons and the welfare
and protection of the most vulnerable—in whatever political situation may evolve? How
can we act on our belief that God is moving in the world, bringing about reconciliation—
even in contentious and divided places like Israel- Palestine—through the work of Jesus
Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit? The church has, throughout its history,
exercised greater influence in cultural spheres than in political ones; when we engage in
shaping culture, we play to our strengths. How does the Spirit of Jesus lead us to engage
the world in faithful, hopeful, and loving ways?
In response, we encourage the church to work with local mission partners and
organizations pursuing reconciliation in Israel-Palestine and beyond. Where political
structures in the Holy Lands seem intransigently antagonistic and consistently
destructive, and where political remedies to the conflict seem beyond the power of any
persons or groups to achieve, PC(USA) can work with such partners to shape cultures
and change the facts on the ground. By doing so, it may help change those structures and
bring new remedies into ^\