The words convict me. For over two years, I’ve lived in Washington DC, the capital city of the most powerful nation in the world, doing ministry in national-level faith-based non-profit organizations. The work has been meaningful, the lessons, plentiful. I’ve grown, and I’ve developed a better understanding of my vocation.
But I’ve also felt removed. Removed from the experiences of kids like Chuy, son of migrant farmworkers for whom I was a camp counselor in Bonita Springs, FL. Removed from the suffering of Gloria and her baby Isabella, an undocumented woman abused by her husband, whom I accompanied at the Houston Catholic Worker. I “work for justice and peace,” but inside the Beltway, where my work often focuses and policy and education several levels removed from real, living people, I become disconnected. I’m less often friends and companions of members of the human family who are at the margins.
Our vocation, JP2 said, is to be craftsmen and women of a new humanity. How do we do that? In my 26th year of life, I’m looking for answers to this question. I believe that God calls me, and all of us, to reject violence and to live out Jesus’ call to be peacemakers. One of the ways I want to explore this call be is through attending a two-week delegation to Israel/Palestine with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in January 2011.On this delegation, we will learn from and dialogue with full-time CPT
staffmembers, government officials, NGOs, and the active, creative nonviolent movements throughout Israel/Palestine. We will express our support and solidarity with the Palestinian Christians suffering in Gaza and the West Bank. We will document human rights abuses and publicly witness that we seek to end U.S.-supported violence. We will return home with personal stories of the relationships that we have developed and the way in which nonviolence is being practiced in a place where peace may sometimes seem hopeless, like a naïve dream.As some of you know, I have been discerning participating in nonviolent accompaniment for several years. I’m both nervous and excited to take this next step, and I ask you, my beloved community, for your support through:
Your curiosity/accompaniment – I want to be in dialogue with you about these issues, to hear your perspectives, experiences, and your own personal sense of vocation. I want to be able to share my experiences with you. And I’d be very happy to share with you or your community my experiences after I return. It would be an honor to share this journey with you.
Your prayers – If you are someone who prays, I ask you to pray for the people of Israel/Palestine who have experienced decades violence. Please pray for interfaith cooperation and understanding, for renewed commitment to nonviolence, and for the end to senseless killing and hatred. Pray for an end to the illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. I also ask that you pray for the delegation – for our safety, for open hearts, meaningful experiences and dialogue, and opportunities to share about our time upon return.
Your finances – By partnering with myself and with CPT, you’ll be sustaining the efforts of men and women who are taking Christ’s message of peace around the world into places where violence is a way of life. Your support makes you a fellow peacemaker in CPT’s work. You’ll also help support me in covering the cost of this trip as I put myself through an MA program in Pastoral Studies. Donations are tax-deductible.
If you’d like to support my trip, I’d love to talk with you more about it. You can visit my fundraising page at http://www.firstgiving.com/cptjennsvetlik or email me.
