From the PYM statement in response to the crisis in Palestine in October:
These are not problems that can be addressed with one approach or with attention to one side or one truth or one thread of history. We are required by our faith to work for justice and peace. We must do this together with our neighbors. Resolution won’t be immediate, but participation in the resolution must start now.
On February 14th, PYM Friends gathered with neighbors of many faiths to help kick off the first day of a Pilgrimage for Peace journey, walking from Independence Hall in Philadelphia to Washington DC. The pilgrimage included nearly 400 people who joined at various points during the 150-mile walk to advocate for a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and an increase in humanitarian aid. The Pilgrimage is taking place in 92 cities around the world to call for change in Gaza. Each multi-day walk is approximately the length of Palestine.
The pilgrims included a diverse coalition of faith leaders, activists, and artists from across the United States, and many faith traditions including Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism. Throughout the journey, participants were welcomed by nearly 20 houses of worship, including Islamic centers, mosques, and AME and Episcopal churches. “It’s not a march. This is a pilgrimage. This is a sacred journey,” said Stephen A. Green, chairman of Faith for Black Lives, a primary sponsor of the event along with the National Council of Churches.
The pilgrimage began on the birthday of Richard Allen, an active and influential Black leader who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church known as the first independent Black denomination in the United States. The church he founded, Mother Bethel, sits on the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by Black Americans in the United States. Rabbi Alissa Wise, founder of Rabbis for Ceasefire, spoke in the church’s sanctuary and shared that safety for Jews and all of us comes not from separation but from relationship.
Along the way, Faith and political leaders addressed participants with words of encouragement and wisdom including General Secretary for the National Council of Churches, Bishop Vashti McKenzie, a leading US- based Palestinian activist, Linda Sarsour, President and CEO of Rainbow Push Coalition, Rev. Frederick D. Haynes, and Rev. Nicholas O’Rourke who also serves as a Philadelphia Councilman.
More than 100 people, including Quakers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, walked from the church to the first stop on the pilgrimage – Independence Hall. General Secretary Christie Duncan-Tessmer, who joined the first two days of the pilgrimage, was asked to help launch the Pilgrimage by inviting participants to gather in worship in the manner of Friends. (video footage credit Carleton Crispin, Salem Meeting)
Although the second day saw fewer people walking, it still offered a plethora of opportunities for conversations and Kairos moments amongst pilgrims as they journeyed together throughout the day. Kairos is a Greek word used in the Old Testament meaning – the appointed time in the purpose of God or the time when God acts. Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune, Chief Operating Officer of the National Council of Churches and a primary organizer of the pilgrimage noticed a specific Kairos moment at lunchtime, noting that as capacity ended someone else always stepped in. Unexpectedly, a new spot was needed for participants to sit down for lunch together; Rev. Dr. Copeland Tune went ahead of the walkers and knocked on the door of a church to see if anyone was there who could welcome walkers in – and there was.
Midway through the route, the Pilgrimage held a rally in Baltimore, Maryland and then completed its eight-day journey with another rally held at Lafayette Square Park near the White House to urge President Biden and Congress to call for an end to the Israel-Hamas war.
Following the pilgrimage, Rev. Stephen Green, Chair of Faith for Black Lives and the Pilgrimage for Peace Team shared that the “message of transformation” has resonated deeply across the nation and is evidenced by an invitation for a delegation from the Pilgrimage to discuss the group’s urgent demands at the White House. The meeting underscored the commitment of those who desired peace to intensify advocacy for peace in Gaza and beyond through persistent, courageous action.
View 6ABC Philadelphia news coverage of the Pilgrimage For Peace kickoff activities.
