Palestine (MNN) — Is peace possible without justice? Andrew Bush with the Bethlehem Bible College Institute of Peace and Justice says no.
He believes the biblical concept of peace includes the repairing of the world and justice for all. “In a place of conflict that is fueled by an underlying injustice, that injustice has to be addressed.”
The Palestinian context
Bush talks about what this looks like in Palestine, a region often known for conflict and violence today. “For instance, many people have seen on the news the Palestinian families that were being evicted from a part of Jerusalem called Sheikh Jarrah. Israel wrote into law a number of years ago that Israeli citizens have the right to reclaim houses that had belonged to their ancestors decades previously. But Palestinians don’t have the same reciprocal, right.”
Bush says whenever a government or legal system treats two groups of people differently, injustice and conflict follow. “It’s a law that benefits only one people. And that’s just one small example of how there are basically two systems of law in Israel and Palestine.”
The institute
The Institute of Peace and Justice seeks to promote peace and justice, based on God’s love for all people. Ask God to equip the students to bring peace and justice in their own contexts. Bush says they have about 30 students from countries like Liberia, the Philippines, Scotland, and the Netherlands.
Courses are taught in English, Bush says. Learn more or register for a course here.
And pray for God’s true and lasting peace in Palestine. Pray old wounds will be healed and present injustices dissolved.
Header photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College on Facebook.
