October 20, 2023
Dear President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden,
How is it possible that both of you and other western governments and their leaders have not tried to stop and have been silent and therefore in collusion with the genocide, mass expulsion and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people in Gaza and Israel? Yes, we all spoke out and denounced the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel. Many of us are deeply disturbed however that you have not spoken out against the genocide in Gaza and that our country has given and is escalating our funding of Israel’s military. We call for a ceasefire against Palestinians, almost one million who are CHILDREN, Mr. President and First Lady. As people of faith, we are called to tell the truth and never give up working for peace and justice even when there seems to be no way. You surely both know that our American silence about Palestinian suffering is creating massive instability in the Middle East and beyond.
I am writing to thank you President Biden for all your work behind the scenes to work for peace that we know nothing about. I am also writing to remind myself and both of you that we are called by God to love one another. Jesus commands us as his disciples to love our enemies, and Mr. President, it feels as if the United States has become the world’s worst enemy. I will love you and pray for you and our country not because I condone our behavior, but because it is a decision we make to live in love that prevents us from becoming our enemy. We are all sacred children of God and can be redeemed.
Are you able to sleep at night Mr. President and First Lady? I am having trouble sleeping for as a Christian minister, I know God is calling me to speak out against American lies in the media, genocide and escalating war. But who do I speak to and what shall I say? Like you, I am a parent and grandparent. We know instinctually we must care for the suffering of any child before us and one million Palestinian children in Gaza are before us now, crying out or are silent from disassociation from unspeakable trauma.
How is it possible that you want our country to give military support to Israel when they are bombing 2.3 million people in the most densely populated area in the world? Gaza, is an open-air prison, a concentration camp of years of apartheid, only five miles wide by twenty-five miles long. Now Isarel denies them water, food, medicine, fuel and is demanding a mass evacuation, but there is nowhere for them to go! How is this possible?
How is it possible that the United States vetoed against the United Nations call for a humanitarian ceasefire?
How is it possible you addressed the American people from your Oval Office asking for 100 billion dollars for more military support for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and to militarize the Mexican Border?
No, Mr. President and First Lady, this is too horrific for any person of faith to be silent. We hope and pray you will begin to speak out against our planetary catastrophe immediately.
Please know I will come to the White House and talk with you and others about changing our world view that justifies American Empire and how to begin working in collaboration with other countries like China for the sake of survival of the human species and all of God’s creation. Shall people of faith surround the White House and pray for your conversion and peace in the Holy Land? Or perhaps we should gather thousands of clergies and people for all faiths for massive civil disobedience and march to the White House, get on our knees and beg you to work for a ceasefire, the abolition of nuclear bombs and a change of course away from suicidal wars? What might people of faith do to support and work with you for world peace? We pray currently for you to say no to the United States supporting genocide and urge you to work for an immediate ceasefire, diplomacy, humanitarian aid and peace talks in the Holy Land and in the Ukraine. Wars in the Holy Land are of course emotional for Jews, Christians and Moslems. Every crisis is an invitation for spiritual growth and could this be the emotional crisis that brings people of faith in the world together in unity? How can people of faith best work with you and leaders in Washington, in our state capitols and local communities for peace in the Holy Land and around the world?
I pray for you both and our country for Jesus teaches us to pray for our persecutors. The American Empire, the most powerful military force and richest country in the history of the world is supporting a suicidal path for our human family and has become the world’s worst persecutor.
Scientists tell us that the doomsday clock is one minute before doomsday and midnight. It is not time to go to sleep, Mr. President and First Lady for God is calling you to wake up, speak the truth and work for a conversion of our country. I invite you and our fellow Americans to pray together.
Dear God,
Help President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden during this nightmare of human history. Help the United States and western governments who are supporting the genocide of one million Palestinian children and the 2.3 people living in Gaza. Help us raise our voices so they will hear us and have a change of heart. Help the world’s leaders listen to our cries for justice and peace.
God, please open the eyes of many Americans who are refusing to see the truth of American aggression and crimes historically and presently.
We pray for the people of Israel for they are mourning and in shock after a horrific terrorist’s attack. God help us. Hear our prayer.
Open our ears to hear the cries of one million Palestinian children with no food or water. God help us. Hear our prayer.
These children cannot sleep because of constant bombing. God help us. Hear our prayer.
They have no medical care and cry out in pain. God help us. Hear our prayer.
There is no doctor or medicine for them. God help us. Hear our prayer.
They are orphans for many of their parents are dead and dying. God help us. Hear our prayer.
Let all with ears hear the cries of all the world’s suffering children and may we respond instinctually in love and care and begin to work to leave them a livable planet. God help us. Hear our prayer.
May Catholics like President Joe Biden and Christians everywhere be reminded that Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. God help us. Hear our prayer.
We have lost our moral soul as a nation. God Help us. Hear our prayer.
Give us courage to break out of denial, inertia and silence and give us a voice to speak the truth. God help us. Hear our prayer.
Help us to know who we should speak to and how to tell the truth in love. God help us. Hear our prayer.
We confess that we have lived in denial and fear and not cared for the world’s children who are the least of these. (Matthew 25:40) We ask for forgiveness.
We give you thanks God of mercy and love for creation and every breath we take. Thank you for our instinct to care for children that humanizes us. Guide us to serve you and do your will to care for the human family and your creation during these dangerous times. Amen
Respectfully and with love,
Rev. Bonnie Tarwater Minister Church for Our Common Home
15435 Strong Road Dallas, Oregon 97338
Grandmother of 7 year old Laina, 5 year old Jacob, 3 year old Nora and a baby soon to be born.(858) 248-5123, revtarwater@yahoo.com www.churchforurcommonhome.com
Please share your thoughts and feelings about this letter and join us in person or on Zoom to one of our four weekly programs to give and receive support and love. Let me know if would like to work with me to write a letter for multipole signatures. For ideas for civil disobedience please go to the website for The Global Nonviolent Action Database, Home | Global Nonviolent Action Database (swarthmore.edu)) provides free access to information about hundreds of cases of nonviolent action, from all continents and most countries, for learning and for citizen action. The database is a project of Swarthmore College…The database supports searches by country, by issue, by action method used, and even by year -- there is a case from ancient Egypt, 12th century BCE! Some cases are part of a “wave” of campaigns, such as the “Arab Awakening” of 2011.”