Category Archives: Racism

Jesus and the Cup of Cold Water


“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:40-42)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

These are remarkable words. Jesus literally identifies himself with his disciples. To welcome one of Christ’s followers is to welcome Almighty God himself. They remind us that God is not distant from human suffering but is present among those who bear witness to his kingdom.

Jesus speaks these words as he sends his disciples into a world that will not always welcome them. Some will reject them, denigrate them, and even persecute them. Yet Jesus assures that those who receive them are receiving Christ himself.

This is a profound affirmation of dignity. In Palestine where many feel ignored by the international community, forgotten by powerful nations, or reduced to mere statistics, Jesus declares that those who belong to him are never invisible. Christ so identifies with his followers that by welcoming them we are literally welcoming him. 

This truth has both a comfort and a challenge.

Throughout the Gospel, Jesus identifies himself with those whom society overlooks. He was born under foreign military occupation. His family became refugees hiding in Egypt. He grew up among ordinary people far from the centres of power.

When Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,” he reveals a God who is found not primarily in palaces or military headquarters but in villages and towns struggling to exist; among families mourning loved ones; among those working for peace and justice; among those refusing to surrender their humanity, emigrate or deny their faith. The Gospel challenges the world to recognize Christ in those it is tempted to ignore, and Jesus uses the imagery of a cup of cold water to rebuke those indifferent to or responsible for human suffering.

“Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones… will certainly not lose their reward.”

Giving someone a cup of cold water is a simple act but it can save a life. It does not solve every problem. It does not end wars or dismantle systems of injustice. Yet Jesus elevates such acts because they express and reveal the heart of God.

Palestinian society has long been known for hospitality. Even in difficult economic circumstances, guests are welcomed, meals are shared, and neighbours support one another. Jesus teaches that these ordinary acts of kindness are sacred. They are signs that God’s kingdom is already breaking into the world.

When resources are scarce, generosity becomes even more significant. 

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Annual Quds Day Rally in London

I am sure like me you are here because you feel you have no choice. It is a moral imperative to show solidarity with people in Gaza and Palestine. It is sobering to realise that for the first time in history, genocide is being recorded live on social media by the victims themselves. No one can say they did not know.

I am deeply ashamed of our government’s refusal to impose sanctions on Israel, to ban arms exports and support the ICC and ICJ investigations into genocide and war crimes, or even simply demand that Gazans be given immediate and full access to food, water, fuel, shelter and medical supplies.

But I feel anger toward so called religious leaders who are failing to give moral leadership and pressure the government to comply with UN resolutions and uphold the rule of international humanitarian law. Where are the Archbishops and Bishops today? They still refuse to acknowledge let alone condemn Israel for imposing apartheid, and perpetrating ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza and Palestine.They are false prophets crying ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace. They have not only lost their voices but lost their moral authority also.

It is hard to comprehend the enormity of the indiscriminate death and destruction Israel has wrought on Gaza. More women and children have been murdered or injured in Gaza than are here today in this demonstration. 

What can we do? We can pray to the God of justice to bring an end to this evil, will punish war criminals and bring swift justice and lasting peace to Palestinians free in their own land. And we can act. If our political leaders won’t impose sanctions, we can boycott and divest from companies profiting from or facilitating the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. And remember to use your vote wisely in the forthcoming May local elections.

I invite you to join me in a minutes silence to remember the bereaved, the injured and traumatised in Gaza and Palestine today.

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Zionism: Manufacturing a State

Zionism: Manufacturing a State’ explores the intricate ties between religion, ideology, and Israel’s brutal war on Gaza. Featuring Jewish rabbis and scholars, it critiques the impact of Zionism on Judaism.

The film traces historical roots, connecting the ideology to today’s Gaza events, and offering a nuanced look at the complex interplay of religion and ideology in Israel’s history.

Watch on Youtube

Together for the Protection of Our Presence 

“In recent times, we’ve witnessed a series of events that have disrupted the harmony of the Christian presence in the Holy Land. One such event is the controversial deal involving a portion of properties in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem. These occurrences are part of a broader pattern of recurring attacks on Christian churches, cemeteries, clergy, nuns, pilgrims, and Christian gatherings across various regions in our lands. This situation leads us to believe that there is a deliberate Israeli policy aimed at targeting our historical existence, institutions, rituals, and spiritual symbols. This policy is occurring within the context of the occupation’s efforts to assert control over Jerusalem, to Judaize sacred lands, and to intimidate and displace Christians. 

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Pure Joy in Trials of Many Kinds

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2)

“The central message arising from the tribunal is that the well-documented accusations of repeated antisemitic behaviour made over more than a decade have been dismissed! Only one allegation of antisemitism has been found to have substance – but that was dealt with quickly and effectively [in 2015] at the time by the Bishop of Guildford (as Jonathan Arkush accepts), Stephen apologising for his actions, recognising the deep hurt his actions had caused and stating publicly that his sharing of the material was ill-considered and misguided and that he “never believed Israel, or any other country was complicity in the terrorist atrocity of 9/11.”

“It is significant that not one word or statement from Dr Sizer has been shown to be antisemitic. There are none.” Stephen Hofmeyr KC

If you wish to read my witness statement, the expert witness report, the statements of witnesses, please follow the hyperlinks below: 

My Witness Statement

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Challenging Apartheid: Four Bible Studies

In Advent last month, I prepared four Bible studies for Sabeel-Kairos UK as a resource to enable churches to engage with scripture and challenge apartheid. Although prepared for Advent, it is hoped you will find them a useful resource at any time.

Zionism and Apartheid
Colonialism and Apartheid
Militarisation and Apartheid
A Future without Apartheid

This is a more detailed resource tracing the history of apartheid in South Africa

A Biblical Response to Israeli Apartheid

Zionism and Apartheid

Sabeel-Kairos UK are hosting a four week series of bible studies entitled Apartheid in Advent.

Watch again the first in our series ‘Challenging Apartheid in Advent’ featuring Antony Lerman and Revd. Dr. Stephen Sizer speaking on the issue of Zionism and its contribution to Israel’s apartheid practices. This video includes both speakers’ presentations. If you would like the bible study to accompany the week, please head over to https://www.sabeel-kairos.org.uk/apar… to download it.

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Global Apartheid and Systems of Exclusion: Allan Aubrey Boesak

We are pleased to publish, with his permission, a paper delivered by Dr Allan Aubrey Boesak at the Chile Conference on Palestine and Latin American Churches on 5 November 2022. His presentation was entitled Global Apartheid and Systems of Exclusion “This Wall Has No Future”


“Every time right minded Black South Africans have the opportunity to visit Israel/Palestine, they come away with a profound sense of shock, and it is the shock of recognition, of profound disorientation, of relived trauma: this is apartheid. It is the sense that something as irrelevant as the colour of one’s skin or what is called “racial identity” has condemned you from birth. It is the onslaught upon your dignity through discrimination, a thousand humiliations every day in every imaginable situation, and the relentless, deliberate process of dehumanisation. 

      It is the sense not only that your very life is being threatened at every turn, but that your life does not matter. It is the ongoing tragedies of dispossession through land theft and forced removals, destruction of property, and devastation of communities, legalised and legitimised by the law and enforced by the violence of the state. It is the myriad ways in which one is told that one has no place in the country of one’s birth. And it is always the violence: systemic, structural, physical, pervasive, and permanent. 

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Christian Support for the State of Israel: Is it Biblical?

For Christians who believe that all are created in the image of God, with equal worth and dignity, what are we called to do for the people of the Holy Land? How can we be faithful and faith-filled peacemakers and justice-seekers? A presentation given during a recent webinar hosted by Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA).

In this conference, we considered how we can respond to Christian Zionist theology and bring love-inspired, biblically based teaching and action to our congregations and communities.

A summary of my presentation is accessible here

7-Biblical-Answers-outside-1Download
7-Biblical-Answers-insideDownload
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