Three ways the YMCA extends the Kingdom of God in the world and in your local community
through solidarity with Palestinian Christians suffering in the Holy Land
I woke up three months ago on a sunny Sunday morning October 8 to hear birds chirping through my open window of the Three Arches Hotel of the Jerusalem International YMCA; it was also day two of the Hamas war against the State of Israel.
“God wants us here.” That was the consensus of our team of five YMCA leaders as we sat around the cafe tables on the JIY portico sipping our coffee and prayerfully reflecting on our situation.
We flew to the Holy Land to build friendships with the Palestinian Christian leaders of the East Jerusalem YMCA, to learn more about how they work with Palestinian Muslim families and youth in their community building peace and healing the wounded due to the perpetual violence there.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God; blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” This describes the work of the YMCA in the Holy Land, in Gaza, in Jericho, in Bethlehem, in Ramallah, in East Jerusalem, in West Jerusalem, in Nazareth, in Tiberius.
Why should YMCAs around the world, especially in the United States, pray for and pay extra care to the flourishing of the kingdom of God in the Holy Land? Why should we pay attention to how the Palestinian Christian leaders are doing there?
REMEMBER: The kingdom of God was first proclaimed by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Land - so Christians of every generation from every land should care about our Palestinian brothers and sisters who live, serve and worship there still today.
Just as the apostle Paul traveled to collect gifts of charity for the Christians suffering in Jerusalem in the first century, so we in the 21st century should still keep our hearts open in love and service to those participating in the kingdom of God there.
The YMCA has been part of this work since 1878 in Jerusalem, bringing diverse Christians together as well as diverse neighbors from different religions and tribes, building charity, friendship and solidarity, often in the face of divisive prejudice and those holding onto grudges. This enduring participation in the kingdom of God amidst severe hardships is worth honoring by YMCA Christians around the world.
HUMILITY: The kingdom of God is a blessing to peacemakers who are poor in spirit; those who are poor in spirit are often the ones extending peace, participating in it, striving for justice.
When you think of those who are poor in spirit, we often think of those in perpetual suffering, extended hardships, complicated societal difficulties, broken communities, families that are continually struggling.
In America it can be tempting to think that middle-class Christianity is the epitome of the kingdom of God - not too rich, but not too poor (this assumes that wealth, safety and security are high priorities of God for Christians). But any reading of the New Testament quickly reveals humiliating hardships for all of the apostles and for all of the early Christian communities. When we read about the seven churches in the book of Revelation, comfortable and wealthy Christians often received the harshest rebuke.
When middle-class Christians in the YMCA stay in proximity to those who are suffering in their community and the Holy Land, they keep their spirit close to the poor, which helps keep their eyes open to their own spiritual poverty, which ironically is how we humbly experience the love of Christ in the kingdom of God: pride and fear never generate hearts open to the mercy of the Holy Spirit.
BUILD: The YMCA is a unique organization in the kingdom of God; since 1844 it has played a pivotal role in building up Christian community around the world.
When it formed in London, it brought diverse Christians together; when it held a global meeting in Paris seven years later, it brought even more diverse Protestant Christians together. In the decades after the Great War the YMCA helped build bridges of Christian solidarity between Western Protestant and Eastern Orthodox leaders. In the decades after World War Two the YMCA did the same with the Roman Catholic Church as well. In that same time the YMCA build up authentic friendships with Jewish and Muslim leaders in the Holy Land and the USA, and in their Asian work with Hindu and Buddhist leaders.
We may take all of this peacemaking work for granted and assume that we should all just get along, but the YMCA Christian leaders who pioneered and built up this work were inspired by their participation in the kingdom of God, doing their part to experience the Beatitudes of Jesus.
They did this locally in the cities where they built YMCA facilities, in countries where they launched YMCA work, and in the Holy Land where the Beatitudes of Jesus were first proclaimed.
The YMCA in the Holy Land is led by courageous and faithful Palestinian Christians who are experiencing horrific suffering. They gather in churches that have been in the land for centuries, many of these Christian families have been in the land over a thousand years.
When we meditate on the kingdom of God and how to participate in it, look to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing hardships and crying out to us for friendship, for support, for justice: whether in the Holy Land or a zip code in your city or anywhere else that breaks your heart.
May you remember be open to the stirring of the Holy Spirit in your heart to pray for the YMCAs in the Holy Land in the midst of this accursed war, to humbly pay attention to them as they seek to be the hands and heart of Christ amidst the misery, to participate in some way with them in building up peacemaking - that we may be called children of God, that we who are poor in spirit may experience the kingdom of God together.
Romans 12:2 “….but let God transform you into a new person, by changing the way your think…”
Dear Tim,
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your thoughtful and heartwarming message. It's incredibly moving to see how your prayers and support extend to us here at the Jerusalem International YMCA in these challenging times.
Your words not only offer comfort but also help to spread awareness about our mission in the Holy Land. By sharing your message, you're helping the world understand the vital role we play in fostering peace, understanding, and community among diverse groups.
The YMCA's efforts to extend the Kingdom of God, particularly through your solidarity with Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land, is crucial in these times of hardship. Your recognition of this work is inspiring, you see what other people do not see!
As CEO of the Jerusalem International YMCA, I see every day how essential our role is in building bridges across diverse communities. Your acknowledgement of the hardships faced by those in the Holy Land, and the YMCA's role in alleviating these through peace-building and support, resonates deeply with our mission.
Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers, and for being a voice that shares our story with a broader audience. Let us continue to work together in hope and faith for a more peaceful and united world.
With heartfelt thanks,
Fadi Suidan, Adv.
CEO, Jerusalem International YMCA
+972-2-5692679