Rev. Munther Isaac, the proudly nationalist and deeply religious Palestinian theologian who is pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran church in Jesus Christ’s hometown of Bethlehem, in again-occupied Palestine, titled his Christmas sermon this year, “Christ Is Still in the Rubble.” The sermon, delivered Dec. 20 and broadcast around the world, is a powerful message, that even as the genocide in Gaza is allowed to expand by decisionmakers who still dare to lecture us about human rights and international law, if those of us “who say no to dehumanization” remain steadfast in our refusal to accept “the tyranny of Herod and his modern-day counterparts,” the goodness and justice of God will triumph. The following extract of his sermon is offered to encourage you to listen to his full sermon here.
“It has been 440 days. 440 days of constant bombing. Nonstop. 440 days of starvation. On top of 17 years of siege and imprisonment. Tens of thousands killed. Injured. Forever disabled. Imprisoned. Starved. More than 17,000 children killed,” he begins.
“But it has also been 440 days of resilience and even beauty. I think of our heroes of Gaza: the doctors, the medics, the rescuers, the volunteers—those who sacrifice and give everything for their fellow human beings. I think of those who created schools in tents. The ones who play music to the displaced children, to bring a smile in the midst of pain and destruction. The chefs who are cooking meals en masse. And the smallest of children, tending to their siblings. The loss is enormous. But we have not lost our faith, or our collective humanity. This is the beauty I am talking about….
“We have to fight against the growing apathy. We must not rest or grow weary. To do so, is to abandon not only the people of Gaza, but our very own humanity… Numbness [to the genocide] is a betrayal to humanity. Yours and those in Gaza….
“In Palestine, we find the intersection of colonialism, supremacy, the logic of might is right, militarism, racism and religious fundamentalism all coming together. Palestine is a human and moral cause.…
