Rev. Dr. Daniel Scott, minister of St. John’s Presbyterian Church, is hoping local communities will come together to pray for those impacted by the Israel-Hamas war.
At the end of the Sunday service Oct. 22, congregation members were provided a copy of a statement adopted by the Presbytery of Oak Ridges — the regional body of the church for York Region and southern Simcoe County — after it was seconded by Scott during their meeting at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Nobleton on Oct. 17.
“The Presbytery of Oak Ridges condemns the horrific terrorist attacks against Israel, and we lament the deaths and injuries of Israelis and Gazans which have resulted,” the statement says.
It goes on to call for the end of violence in the affected area, supports the rights of Israelis and Palestinians to live with dignity in peace, and condemns acts of antisemitism, anti-Judaism, anti-Israelism and Islamophobia.
“The Presbytery wants to assure people in Simcoe County and York Region that the church is praying for all sides, and yes there is terror on all sides, but ... we should pray for people that are in harm’s way,” Scott said, noting that all Abrahamic religions are affected by the conflict.
In addition to the statement calling for peace in the Middle East, the minister emphasized his hope for de-escalation and compassion.
“All of us are gravely concerned when there’s an unprovoked terrorist attack, but also concerned with the significant retaliation that is going to result in tremendous loss of life,” he said.
The Presbyterian World Service and Development has put out a call for donations to support those affected by the rapidly evolving humanitarian crisis, and the church supports the non-governmental agency (NGO) Parents Circle Family Forum, a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of more than 600 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict and who promote dialogue, tolerance, reconciliation and peace.
Local church elders plan to meet Monday evening to discuss what else can be done to help, and in the meantime, Scott reached out to local leaders within the Jewish and Islamic communities to offer his support and prayers.
“We all have neighbours that are deeply concerned about the issues in the region,” he said. “When these horrific situations happen, those personal relationships need to be strengthened because they can become stressed and strained.”
To that end, Scott is hoping to further increase efforts of hospitality that can help members of different faith communities come together and understand one another, such as the Ramadan and breaking fast events to which the church has been invited, and the church meals to which Muslim and Jewish neighbours have been invited.
Israel officially declared war on Hamas on Oct. 8 and initiated strikes on Gaza following Hamas militants’ attack on Israel Oct. 7 that killed an estimated 1,300 people, including a number of Canadians attending the Re'im Music Festival in the Re’im kibbutz about five kilometres from the border with Gaza.
According to the Canadian Press, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said Monday that at least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed and 15,270 wounded in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.
