We All Carry Each Other's Cross

By the Rev. Clelia Pinza-Garrity, LCSW

October 7, 2023, was a moment in history that I will never forget. A brutal massacre followed by more than a year of warfare that has left millions of men, women, and children in Gaza with no home; countless others wounded or killed, and access to medical care, food, and shelter essentially nonexistent.

An unimaginable time of terror and armed conflict in the Holy Land, the birthplace of our savior Jesus Christ and home to the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, The Most Reverend Hosam Elias Naoum, Archbishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and a handful of clergy who tirelessly serve their communities even in the midst of pain and suffering. Communities that have overcome the initial fear and anger ignited by the tragedy of October 7 and that now, in faith, carry forth their communal cross of hope as they minister to their communities, to all who live in fear. Communities that serve in self-giving ways that exemplify and glorify God’s love for all his children.

Soon after Christmas 2023, I felt God’s call to visit these incredible saints in a mission of solidarity. I contacted Richard Sewell, Dean of the Cathedral of St. George in Jerusalem and together we developed an itinerary and identified February 10 as the start date for the mission. Not long after all of our plans were finally in place, the war worsened, and it became clear that I would not be able to travel to the Holy Land in February. I am now (with God’s help) scheduled for April 21).

However, I continued to feel God’s tug to do something that might take the place of an actual on-site visit and began to investigate the possibility of a Zoom interview with The Rev. Fadi Diab, rector of St. Andrew’s in Ramallah. Fr. Fadi is one of the diocese’s primary spokespersons and a man of incredible wisdom and pastoral sensitivity. My colleagues at the Office of Global Partnerships and my new best friend, The Ven. Paul Feheley, the Partnership Officer for the Middle East for the Episcopal Church, helped me arrange just such a call. We recorded it on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. The interview is below.

In my role as our diocesan Global Mission Advocate my main responsibility is to make known to all the life and work of our siblings throughout the Anglican Communion and to promote partnerships of all sorts with our siblings throughout the world. I believe this conversation with Fr. Fadi is an important statement about how our presence with those who suffer is deeply valued and how we might best walk with them. As Fr. Fadi so beautifully said, “We all carry each other’s cross. How can you help the Diocese of Jerusalem carry its cross?”