Reflections on Day 307 of genocide
In Healing Haunted Histories: A Discipleship of Settler Colonialism Ched Meyers and Elaine Enns chart forward a path towards healing for European Christian Settlers on Turtle Island. I am in the process of slowly reading the book, and I appreciate an honest engagement with settler colonialism from a christian perspective. It is a breath of fresh air, and it raises interesting questions for me as I continue to hold onto my Christian faith and church community in the face of several challenges.
One thing that jumped out to me from the introduction and first chapter was their confession/observation that liberal/activist settler Christians tend to have an inverse relationship between the distance and sense of purpose around decolonial struggle. In other words, settler Christians are often quick to jump into solidarity campaigns for those that are far away (Latin America, Palestine, etc.) but are reluctant or unwilling to do the decolonization work at home.
Moving forward in both my professional and faith life, I want to learn to ask the right questions to do decolonizing work in solidarity both near and far. As I continue the book, I am curious about how Meyers and Enns will develop their idea of “LBS:” Landlines (what we walk from and into), Bloodlines (what we walk with), and Songlines (what sustains us & empowers us). As I continue to read, I can feel other ideas poking and prodding Meyers and Enns main thesis. A careful analysis and resistance to embracing Christian Supremacy and also the critique from secular leftists of liberatory work that is disengaged from material struggle or too “reformist”.
This week, the massacres have continued in Palestine. In Gaza, Abdel Fatah Hamoud and the al-Zahraa schools in eastern Gaza City, sheltering displaced families, were hit by Israeli airstrikes killing at least 56 people. Meanwhile, the region braces for the Houthi, Iranian and Hezbollah defensive responses to Israeli cross border assassinations. As Israel is the only nuclear power in the region and backed by the largest military in the world (ours), Israeli society seems to be willing to put their genocidal war as the first priority over their own security and the lives of their civilians and existence.
This Saturday, I have the opportunity to see Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Pastor in the Occupied West Bank speak in Northern California. I am looking forward to hearing directly what solidarity can look like, as well as how faith is sustaining his community in this time of genocide. As I continue my solidarity work with Palestine in my union and church community, the frame of ‘settler colonialism’ and Meyers and Enns work challenges me to also do the local work of coming into right relationship with the land and its indigenous peoples. Recently, Meyers offered to put me in touch with Dr. Jonathan Cordero who is Metush (Chair) of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples (the indigenous people of the San Francisco Peninsula). I hope that new relationships can continue to help the decolonial work both locally and abroad.
What I’m Reading This Week: