This past Sunday, Sept. 21, the church commemorated United Nations International Day of Peace. The focus was on the conflict between Israel and Gaza. Olive branches and watermelon adorned the altar. We were reminded that while watermelon is a symbol of Palestinian solidarity because it features the colors of the Palestinian flag, here in this culture watermelon is a racist trope. The service featured prayers from Palestinian sources, and music from Palestine as well as Jewish sources. There was a conversation between Rev. Wells and Gavin Meyers, an Eckerd College student who has been attending the church and has lived in Oman for 11 years where his father is a missionary working on fostering interreligious dialogue for peace. The video of the conversation will be posted on the church website. After the service, there was watermelon to eat before we headed out to 54th Ave. S. with our signs for a half hour demonstration for peace. The signs were a great success! We guesstimate that one out of five cars honked or waved. We circled up and debriefed at the end. Everyone agreed it was a good thing. Many thanks to Sharon Taylor and Michelle Varley Crosby for helping with the sign painting. We’ll keep the signs at church for future demonstrations like the upcoming No Kings Day. Many, many thanks to all who helped to create this beautiful celebration of peace!
Lakewood United Church of Christ 