TheNational Council of Churches reports that on Jan. 9, "leaders of three faithsthat trace their origins back to a common ancestor -- the Patriarch Abraham --joined their hearts and pens today to form a common prayer for peace between Israel, Gazaand among all nations.

Rabbi SteveGutow of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon,General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, and Dr. Sayeed Sayidof the Islamic Society of North America, acknowledged having "differentviews" as to how to end the confrontation between Israel and Gaza, saidthey looked "to the power that is greater than any of us can evencontemplate" to ask for peace in the Middle East."

I know each of these men. I work witDr. Kinnamon on a weekly basis. I have met, spoken with and conversed by emailwith Rabbi Gutow, and last fall I was at a meeting with Dr. Sayeed Sayid andserved with him on a committee for the Independent Sector. These are eachthoughtful and respectful men; each deeply and thoroughly committee to hisfaith yet out for their faiths they see the need to be engaged with each other.

They went on to say, "the three of us come from differentreligions and have different views regarding how to best solve the problemsfaced in the confrontation between Israel and Hamas. In many arenas we havefound ways to work together but not yet in this situation. We look to the powerthat is greater than any of us can even contemplate and ask that power to helpus find peace among the nations. "The full text can be found on the NCCwebsite.

Church World Service,an organization related to the NCC, is supporting humanitarian relief effortsin Gaza as amember of the Action by Churches Together International alliance. I am proud toe a member of the CWS board of directors. ACT efforts includethose of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)'sDepartment of Service to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR), International OrthodoxChristian Charities, the Lutheran World Federation and Norwegian Church Aid,all long-time CWS partners. CWS-supported efforts now include theprovision of food - including high-energy biscuits for children - medicine andblankets, as well as the deployment of trauma counselors. However, ACT saidtoday that the movement of aid into Gazais at a standstill, because of a strike of truck drivers concerned about thelack of security. It is unlikely the CWS-supported transport or any other aid"will be able to move into Gazatoday," said ACT representative for Israeland Palestine,Liv Steimoeggen. The UN is responsible for organizing the transport of aidshipments into Gaza,including aid supplied by ACT.
HOW TO HELP: Contributions to support thisemergency appeal may be sent to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515.Please designate #6824, 2009 Gaza Humanitarian Response. For furtherinformation about disasters to which Church World Service is responding pleasevisit www.churchworldservice.org orcall the CWS Hotline, (800) 297-1516.

Meanwhile the ELCA bishops continue their trip spending today in the townof Hebron on the West Bank. A blog of that trip can be found on the ELCAhome page, which records that, "Thetrip by bishops of the ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is tostress accompaniment with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and theHoly Land, raise awareness of regional issues and boost advocacy for peace….Thevisit to Hebron was arranged by theEcumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel," a unit of theWorld Council of Churches which tracks of "how Israel deals with Palestiniansin territories it controls." At the ELCA webpage youwill also find connections to the ELCA program, Peace not Walls - Stand for Justice in the Holy Land.