Jennifer Bing co-led a delegation of AFSC staff to Israel and the Palestinian territories last month. Philip Weiss interviewed her soon after she returned. This piece was originally published on Mondoweiss. - Lucy

You just visited Gaza. You’ve been there often before, though, right?

In September 2015, Pedro joined AFSC colleagues from around the country on a delegation to the Occupied Palestinian Territories to meet with farmers, business people, politicians, and activists, in order to learn about how Israeli occupation impacts daily life for Palestinians living in the occupied territories.  The staff delegation visited the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.  This is one in a series of articles on Pedro’s reflections on his visit to Palestine. - Lucy

"All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. … As wind, as water, as fire, as life, God is change."  - Octavia Butler

The number of dead and injured in Israel and the Palestinian terrorites continues to grow in recent weeks. The violence is the result of brutal force used to maintain the occupation. In this piece Mike Merryman-Lotze reflects on the violence and the videos and images of that violence being circulated. He asks why such images are necessary for outrage and compassion to address the roots of the problem.

If you are a student of Christian theology, the concept of “already, but not yet” might be a familiar one. I first heard it in a class on the New Testament during my (very) brief time at Earlham School of Religion.

White Quaker singer-songwriter Sandy Robson reflects on fear and how it operates to maintain segregation and racial oppression in this moving piece about growing up in Baltimore and learning about the vulnerability and lack of safety her Black friends feel. This piece was originally published on Sandy's website (her singer-songwriter name is Letitia VanSant) in May. - Lucy