In light of the tragic events occurring in the Middle East and as people of faith who affirm the sanctity of human life, the inherent interconnectedness and wholeness of the human community, we are heartbroken and saddened by the scale of suffering and pain that is being experienced right now by many of our sisters and brothers in the Middle East.
We lament and mourn the loss of lives and devastation of communities. There is simply no justification for the indiscriminate killing of civilians and holding of civilian hostages.
Why? The key moral judgement we can make is that indiscriminate killing is barbaric and lacking any degree of human civility.
As people of faith who value community and justice for all, it is our earnest prayer for peace and commitment to reject hate, fear, violence, and war as solutions to our human predicament. We affirm the peace and well-being of all as a worthy goal to strive for, and if necessary, to die for. In the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we seek peace and justice for all.
Let us embrace these values as we work to create a better world.
