By Logan Langlois
NASHVILLE, TN — During the height of lent, a period of reflection on wrongdoing and a desire to change for Christians internationally, faith leaders and clergy with Middle Tennessee Christians for Justice in Palestine (MTC4JP) gathered for a “service of repentance” outside of the offices of U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. Event organizers estimated hundreds of Christians in different cities nationwide organized on Monday, March 18th to protest in solidarity to “highlight the harm and violence caused by ‘Christian Zionism.” The group said their repentance was for all Christians, including the aforementioned senators, who “have been complicit in the suffering and genocide of Palestinians.”
One of MTC4JP’s event organizers Rachel Ternes said the group planned on ending the day’s protest by delivering letters to the offices of Blackburn and Hagerty but were prevented from going in. Ternes said this confused her group as the public should have access to the offices of their state representatives.
“We were told we needed to make an appointment, but I don’t think that’s true. Because there’s no way to make an appointment on their website as we were told,” Ternes said. “That’s the main obstacle, that the people in power that are supposed to represent us and who we hold to the responsibilities of being a part of our Christian community are not living up to those responsibilities.”
Ternes said despite being denied an audience with their representatives, MTC4JP felt they accomplished their goal of showing Nashville and Middle Tennessee that many Christians stand with their anti-Zionist Jewish siblings in fighting against the genocide currently happening in Gaza. She said MTC4JP also felt successful in voicing their belief that elected American Christian leaders such as Blackburn and Hagerty must be held accountable for their complacency with the genocide of Palestinians living in Gaza when they should be speaking out against the injustice. Ternes said MTC4JP joined two dozen other demonstrations being held around the country on their day of action, all of which shared their goal of conducting a large visible demonstration of Christians standing with anti-Zionist Jewish communities and the Gazan people.
Ternes said even those who have survived the death being brought by Israel’s military are not physically safe, as it has been confirmed that 100% of the people in Gaza are at risk of starvation. She said disease has also become a big threat to the Gazan people, not to mention the emotional trauma endured by survivors.
“There’s huge numbers of children experiencing amputations without anesthesia and huge numbers of children being orphaned with their entire immediate and extended families killed,” Ternes said. “Even the children that are surviving are experiencing extreme trauma, and I think that’s just horrifying.”
Ternes said that all Tennesseans should care about what is happening in Gaza because it is largely their tax dollars as Americans that are funding the genocide rather than funding programs that could improve their daily lives. She also said many Christians have been convinced that it is inherently anti-Semitic to criticize Israel’s government, and though she agrees Christian anti-Semitism has led to much violence and must be checked, she agrees with the anti-Zionist Jewish community that supporting Gaza is not anti-Semitic.
Ternes said a large public gathering coordinated between local pro-Palestine groups is scheduled for April 6th. She said more information will come out on MTC4JP’s newsletter and social media, like their Instagram @midtnchristians4palestine. Ternes said donations for humanitarian aid projects can be sent to World Central Kitchen and Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
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