Message from Dean Richard Sewell

Greetings from Jerusalem and from all the staff of St George’s College.

Whilst the situation in the Holy Land is still one of great pain, the College believes that it is possible to offer safe pilgrimages again. With all that has been suffered and continues, pilgrimages should be different and must be an act of solidarity with Palestinian Christians who have especially suffered with the lack of pilgrims during the period of this fearful war.

I want to thank all those who have sent messages of concern for us here and with assurances of prayer for us and for the Land of the Holy One. These have been so well received. .

The situation has taken a serious turn for the worst with a full state of war with Iran. I won't go into the issues, causes and implications here. Suffice to say that everyone of every community is frightened or stressed, or both. The usually secure parts of Israel now feel vulnerable and that is a shock. .

In the College we have the benefit of the security of the Cathedral Close and a very secure bomb shelter in the basement. We have had to take shelter here intermittently through the past twenty months. But we have been down there several times each day and night since last Friday. Before we get to the bunker we can see missiles in the sky being intercepted by the defense system and we can feel/hear windows and sometimes the ground shake. .

Most of the College staff live in parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank where there are no accessible bomb shelters. They and their families can feel more vulnerable than we do in the College. We do all that we can to support them as needed. Everyone to some degree feels frightened and/or stressed. In reality, as far as we can tell, not a single missile has fallen in the Jerusalem area. The field of action is more in the coastal areas, around the airport and in the north. .

This is all very concerning but (for the most part) we do not feel in direct danger. But we are aware that the situation could deteriorate further. We feel for everyone who has been impacted and is in a situation of real danger. We pray for an end and a commitment to a negotiated settlement. Violence and warfare is not the way. Iran is also part of our Anglican Province and Archbishop Hosam has jurisdiction, so we also feel great concern for civilians in Iran and especially for the vulnerable Christians there. .

While all of this understandably fills the news agenda everywhere, for us a primary concern is still for the people of Gaza who are being starved and bombed with no shelters or defense systems. Attention must remain there too. Also on the West Bank which is being subjected to an almost total lockdown and suffers painfully in many diverse ways. .

We pray for an end to this multi-dimensional war and its wanton destructions. We pray for the establishment of justice and a pathway toward equality and peaceful co-existence for all people. War is not the answer and killing people is neither holy nor useful. .

We take great comfort from the fellowship of the 'Community of the Close' in which the College exists. Both local and international staff, along with those who reside in the College, strengthen one another to face the challenges and rigours of these days of fire. We trust in the grace of God. We are sustained by Christian hope (not optimism). May the Lord have mercy on us all.

The Very Revd Canon Richard Sewell Dean