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The Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals of Plymouth Congregational Church UCC in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is participating in a nationwide fast for Gaza. The initiative, organized by Veterans for Peace and Friends of Sabeel North America, began on May 22 and involves over 700 people across the United States consuming only 250 calories daily to match the estimated intake of individuals in Gaza.
Ofner-Seals urged Indiana state senators to leverage U.S. influence to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza. "I’ll eat when they eat," she wrote in an open letter, highlighting the critical situation faced by nearly two million Gazans due to Israel's blockade on essential supplies.
Rev. Timothy Murphy, senior pastor at Plymouth Church, has also joined the cause with a zero-calorie hunger strike initiated on June 1. He emphasized the necessity for faith communities to demand an end to what he described as collective punishment through starvation.
The pastors are encouraging community members to contact their representatives and advocate for ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This includes supporting legislative efforts like S. Res 224 and H. Res. 473 that call for delivering aid to Gaza.
Global Ministries has been active in raising awareness about the situation, promoting actions such as the Block the Bombs Act aimed at halting U.S. support for military actions affecting civilians in Gaza.
Helen Nwabara from the UCC Office of Public Policy and Advocacy noted ongoing endorsements of bills supporting humanitarian relief efforts for Gaza.
Ofner-Seals and Murphy have used their fasting as a means to draw media attention and galvanize public action, hoping it will lead more Americans to advocate for Gazans' rights.
Despite challenges during her fast, Ofner-Seals remains committed, taking inspiration from those suffering in Gaza. She is part of several advocacy efforts through her role with the UCC Palestine Israel Network Steering Committee.
In a pastoral letter, this committee highlighted Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac's view of Palestine as a moral compass, emphasizing the importance of speaking out against injustices faced by children in Gaza.
Murphy described Plymouth Church as committed to global missions and just peace initiatives, underscoring their accountability to partners affected by conflict in regions like the West Bank.
After concluding his hunger strike due to health concerns after eleven days, Murphy continues his advocacy work alongside Ofner-Seals.
The pastors encourage other church leaders to integrate prayers for Gaza into worship services as a starting point for engaging congregations on this issue.
Global Ministries recently introduced a joint prayer concerning aid blockades that congregations are invited to participate in.
Ofner-Seals stressed that none should remain complacent while innocent lives are lost due to systematic starvation or violence: "None of us should rest easy while millions...are intentionally and systematically wiped out."
Murphy reiterated the urgency: "With just one day sooner of getting the aid in, hundreds could live who would otherwise die needlessly from starvation."
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