Unsettling Events by John Na'em Snobar - November
While many await the arrival of a Palestinian King, I continue to turn my mind to the devastating effects of anti-semitism by the non-Palestinian Church, and its impact on non-Palestinian Jews, Palestinian Jews, and Palestinians.
The State of Israel/state of Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people continues, as the President of the united States of America prepares to take the helm of the christian Nation.
Perhaps there is no better time for one to consider the Priesthood - which continues to come as a surprise to many of my friends, until I reminded them how much Palestinian Jesus of Nazareth used to love to party.
Palestinian Church: Faith and Hope
I delivered my first Sermon at Union Theological Seminary's James Chapel, where I shared a prophecy about past/future, concerning a young priest in New York.
My sermon started with an offering - of Palestinian sage, frankincense and myrrh - for the Gold stolen from these lands, by European settlers. My grandfather's spirit, and that of his predecessors, continues to guide me on my path. I am pleased to share my sermon with you below, or you can read it here.
Fellow Seminarians tell me that that my 'voice' at Union Theological Seminary is valued. It does feel like an odd time, to be at a 'progressive' school, at the heart of a the (collapsing) American E/empire. This is especially so as a Palestinian Christian, who is also a settler-migrant to Australia.
The Lord works in mysterious ways - for some people.
Palestinian Interfaith Leadership
As the 2024 Dietrich Bonhoeffer Scholar at Union Theological Seminary, I am grappling with big questions, especially concerning 'interfaith', which I critique as deletion of Palestinian identity (see my article in The Heretic, and below).
I will be writing more about Palestinian Interfaith Leadership, in coming months, and look forward to engaging with readers about this, as I call on Ancestral Spirits to guide my path, to Jerusalem.
John Na’em Snobar