Rev. Stephen Cottrell emphasized the dangers of “endless cycles of reprisals” and the fallacy of believing in the principle of “might is right.”
Referencing the Chinese philosopher Confucius, he said: “When you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves: one for your enemy and one for yourself.”
His statement, while not directly referencing the Israel-Gaza war, came as the UN voted on whether to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel’s relentless bombardment has killed over 20,000 people, many of whom are civilians.
Cottrell also drew upon the words of Martin Luther King, writing: “Violence begets violence, hate begets hate, and toughness begets a greater toughness. It is all a descending spiral, and the end is destruction — for everybody. Along the way of life, someone must have enough sense and morality to cut off the chain of hate.”
Earlier in December, the House of Bishops released a statement condemning the loss of Palestinian civilian lives and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as unjustifiable.
Moreover, the archbishop expressed that amid war’s chaos and a world plagued by political extremism and corruption, divine guidance is still present. However, he warned that “anyone hoping for a message combining instant justice with the extermination of tyranny and divine retribution is likely to be disappointed.”
“This year, the skies of Bethlehem are full of fear rather than angels and glory,” Justin Welby said during a service at Canterbury Cathedral.
He drew parallels between the hardships faced by children in the region today and the turbulent times of Jesus’ birth.
“Today a crying child is in a manger somewhere in the world, nobody willing or able to help his parents, or her parents, who so desperately need shelter,” Welby said. “Or perhaps lying in an incubator, in a hospital low on electricity, like the Anglican Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, surrounded by suffering and death.
“Or maybe the newborn lies in a house that still bears the marks of the horrors of Oct. 7, with family members killed, and a mother who counted her life as lost.”
The archbishop highlighted the importance of service over dominance in addressing global challenges such as climate change, terrorism, economic disparity, antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism
God “confronts our cruelty with his compassion” and “responds to our selfishness with service,” Welby said.
He shared his experience of visiting a US church that collects guns off the streets and mentioned wearing a cross made from a melted-down automatic rifle, symbolizing hope and life.
“The angels cry, they cry out for peace — and let our voices join with theirs in prayer for such peace; for a cessation of violence, for the relief of such suffering, and for the release of hostages,” Welby said.
Earlier in October, the archbishop spent four days in Jerusalem to show solidarity “with the Christian community in the Holy Land” after Israel reportedly bombed the Anglican-run Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza.
Palestinian Christians had slammed his remarks on the Israel-Hamas war, accusing him of “relegating” their plight behind “British domestic political and ecumenical considerations.”