In Suffering, We Belong to Each Other. In Solidarity, Peace Will Prevail.
Today’s reflection is by Bondings 2.0 contributor Michael Sennett.
Today’s liturgical readings for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time can be found here.
Struggle and suffering are unavoidable parts of the human experience, and today’s liturgical readings confront us with these realities head-on. From Isaiah’s defiance in the face of persecution to Jesus’ stark recognition of his own suffering and death, we are reminded that the path of faith is not clear of hardship.
Reflecting on these readings has led me to realize a deeper message: in suffering, we belong to each other. We are called to be present for one another, to carry each other’s burdens, and to work together for liberation and justice in all lands. Walking alongside each other is where we encounter God.
Nowhere do I see this spirit of solidarity more clearly than in the people of Palestine. Their journey to liberation is a great struggle—children growing up under siege, families torn apart by bombs and bullets, entire communities facing the constant threat of death and displacement. Amid the violence and oppression, Palestinians continue to hold onto each other. A fierce commitment to community transcends divisions and differences.
A friendship that began in college helps me to understand the depth of the call to solidarity. My undergrad years were spent at a Catholic university in the Midwest U.S.—not always a welcoming environment for a transgender student. One of my friends, who is Palestinian, accompanied me in navigating the challenges of transphobia. He was often the first to advocate on behalf of me and other students, and he never hesitated to speak out against injustice.
Before my name was legally changed, I would approach my professors before classes began each semester to explain my situation and tell them to call me “Michael.” One professor refused, and repeatedly used my birth name in and out of class. My friend joined me in every discussion with administrators, even though reporting the ordeal proved futile. When the school’s leadership didn’t care, he did. He supported students in their battles against racial biases, sexist attitudes, homophobic attacks, and xenophobic sentiments.
While my friend uplifted the community around him, very few students defended him when he was rebuked time and time again after calling for the liberation of Palestine. I’m disappointed to admit I was once wary of standing in solidarity with him. I feared that openly speaking about anti-Zionism would be conflated with antisemitism. Silence, however, always favors oppression. It serves only to reinforce the system of Israeli occupation over Palestinian land.
Despite the constant betrayal from our peers, my friend continued to show up for others. Once, when I wondered why he was so faithful to everyone, he told me, “it’s because we are all connected. My liberation relies on yours, and yours on mine.” Pope Francis has also said that “everything is connected.” Thinking about his response strengthens my spirit and informs my own commitment to community.
During Pride Month, organizers called our attention to the struggles of LGBTQ+ Palestinians and Americans, and how their journey to justice intersects with the path toward a Palestine free from occupation.
Today’s second reading tells us that faith without works is dead. Faith must be more than words; it must be action. Walking with others in their suffering and growing in community is movement toward justice. If we are unwilling to roll up our sleeves and get involved in the messiness of human suffering, our faith is dead on arrival. We are called to show up, to give of ourselves, to recognize that our own freedom is intertwined with the freedom of others. My friend and the people I’ve encountered in spaces of Palestinian activism inspire me to bring my faith to life.
The cross that Jesus speaks of in the gospel reading is not a call to passive suffering but a call to active solidarity with those who are oppressed. Taking up our cross means standing against the violent structures of oppressions such as transphobia, homophobia, colonization, and so many others, even when it costs us our comfort or safety. It means losing our lives—our privileges, our complacency—for the sake of others, knowing that in doing so, peace and liberation prevail.
—Michael Sennett (he/him), September 15, 2024
You and your friend are brave men. The world needs more of you. Thank you.
Excellent exhortation, Michael. Thank you. Pointing out that the cross is not a matter of passive suffering is also resonating with me.
Michael,
I appreciate very much your article and most especially the solidarity and friendship with your Palestinian friend and how he challenged you to an even greater solidarity for persons persecuted and oppressed for so many other reasons including and other than their gender identity. (I most especially appreciated your mentioning that anti zionism does NOT mean anti semetism. Reading Ron Chernov’s book on the Walburgs it was often brought up that not all Jewish people, although murdered or having had family members murdered in the holocaust were all necessarily zionists. They believed at the time that the victims of Hitler’s anti semetism and hatred should be “welcomed in any part of the world” at that time. That would seem to be a digression on my part. But the fact is that I met very many beautiful Palestinian people in the Dominican Republic where I worked as a Roman Catholic missionary “besides” growing up in a heavilly Jewish community in Squirrel Hill Pittsburgh. So thank you Michael. But as sort of a footnote here, and this does not apply just to your fine article. But even though I see my comments go on this space (before they are monitored) I am a bit non plussed with the New Ways website. Because when I asked for some direct communication, though I was promised it no one ever called me. My cell is 9-7-971-7843…I do understand the need for monitoring material, but I did expect some kind of direct communication.
Tom Deely CSSR