30 members of Mosaic Conference, a community of Mennonite congregations and non-profit ministries, paid a visit to Rep. Madeleine Dean’s Glenside office on Tuesday, December 19 to relay a ceasefire message.
The visit was part of the Day of Mennonite Action for a Ceasefire, organized by the newly formed group Mennonite Action, whose mission is “to stop war and end the occupation of Palestine,” their website says.
According to Anabaptist World, the group arrived at the door singing, “We will follow Jesus.” Dean’s staff did not allow the group to enter, so they went to the sidewalk, “praying and singing and recording their message for Rep. Dean.”
— Tori JL (@MennoAct_SEPA) December 19, 2023
Advocacy visits were also held at the offices of Senator Bob Casey and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. Over 140 Mennonites participated in the visits, including members from Mosaic congregations Ambler, Indonesian Light, Methacton, Perkasie, Philadelphia Praise Center, Plains, Souderton, Salford, and Zion, among others, Anabaptist World said.
“Although we did not get to meet with either representative . . . I am grateful that we were able to speak with district staff at each office,” a lead organizer said. “It was meaningful to be able to share about our core values, our 70-year history of peacemaking in Palestine, and our deep conviction to live in alignment with the peaceable way of Jesus. My prayer is that we will continue to bravely and publicly advocate for peace.”
“What stood out most to me was that we were all there because Jesus calls us to be peacemakers. We were there because Jesus goes out of his way to look out for those who are suffering and forgotten,” Michelle Curtis, co-pastor of the Ambler congregation, said. “That means the people of Gaza, who are being bombed and starved by Israeli troops. It means the Israelis who were killed or taken hostage by Hamas on October 7. It means Muslims and Jews around the world who are living in fear because of what’s happening in Palestine and Israel. Jesus cares about all these people. And he asks us to care too.”
More than 40 Mennonite Action advocacy events took place across the U.S. and Canada that day, the group said.
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Photo: Mennonite Action