Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori in Gaza in March, courtesy of Episcopal Life Online

When something has been a “crisis” for longer than one has been alive, it can be hard to maintain focus and energy around it. We’re all familiar with the idea of compassion fatigue. But the crisis in the Middle East, and at the moment particularly in Gaza, has reached a new boiling point. Rather than try to figure out the historical origins of the conflict, or God forbid get into a shouting match about victimization and blame, it seems the most important thing is to focus on the people being hurt by the situation, and not close our eyes to the ongoing and worsening humanitarian crisis.

“Innocent lives are being lost throughout the land we all call Holy, and as Christians remember the coming of the Prince of Peace, we ache for the absence of peace in the land of his birth,” [Presiding Bishop] Jefferts Schori said in her December 29 statement. “Immediate attention should focus on vital humanitarian assistance to the suffocating people of Gaza.” Also on December 29, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on both sides to cease all acts of violence and urged Israel to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

That’s from Episcopal Life Online, in an article about the response to this situation by the Presiding Bishop and other Christian leaders, including the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani.

The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem operates numerous hospitals throughout the region, and the stories coming from them are not good. In March, Jefferts Schori, toured the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. According to the Episcopal Life article,

“Since that visit, the situation, which was already devastating, has only worsened, with supplies of food, fuel, power, and medical supplies either cut off or indefinitely delayed. Our hospital must now try to treat the wounded under the most impossible circumstances.”

The American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem is another place to get breaking news on the situation, and also to make contributions that might be able to help, at least to alleviate suffering if not to end the violence.