Nadolig - yr adeg hynny a nawr
Adeg y Nadolig, efallai'n amlach nag ar unrhyw adeg arall, mae'n darlleniadau o'r beibl yn mynd â ni i wlad y beibl. Rydym yn mynd i Stori'r Geni a'r rhyfeddod o Dduw yn cael ei eni fel un ohonom ni yn Iesu, wedi'i eni o Mair fel baban bregus, angen gofal ei fam; a hefyd ofal Joseff.Mae'n hawdd iawn i'r delweddau yma fynd â ni oddi wrth realiti Palestina ac Israel heddiw.Mae'n hawdd hefyd anghofio fod Iesu wedi'i eni mewn gwlad o dan warchae.
Hoffwn rannu gyda chi hanes merch ifanc, a gafodd ei geni ac sy'n byw mewn gwlad dan warchae heddiw.Daeth ei stori at Esgob Andy yn gynharach eleni ac rydym wedi bod yn dilyn ei stori ers hynny.Mae hi'n byw ym Mhalestina ac yn fyfyrwraig ym mhrifysgol Birzeit a gafodd ei sefydlu gan aelodau o'i theulu ychydig o genedlaethau’n ôl.Mae hi'n Gristion ac yn rhan o'i chynulleidfa Anglicanaidd lleol; mae'n un o tua 5,000 o Anglicaniaid ar draws y Wlad Sanctaidd.
Nid yw bywyd yn hawdd i Gristnogion.O fewn Israel, mae yna dros 60 o gyfreithiau'n cael eu defnyddio i wahaniaethu yn eu herbyn, fel pobl nad ydyn nhw'n Iddewon, yn amrywio o gyfyngiadau ar dai ac addysg i aduniadau teuluol. Dydyn nhw chwaith yn cael dinasyddiaeth lawn nac hawliau cenedligrwydd.Mae'r sefyllfa hyd yn oed yn fwy peryglus yn Nhiriogaethau Palestina sydd dan Warchae'r Israeliaid.
Cafodd Layan, y ferch ifanc yn y stori hon, ynghyd â myfyrwyr eraill, ei harestio a'i chymryd o'i chartref gan filwyr Israel ar 7 Gorffennaf 2021. Roedden nhw'n cael eu cyhuddo o berthyn i 'gymdeithas anghyfreithlon', sef undeb yr oedd yn rhaid iddyn nhw ymuno â hi yn y brifysgol; roedden nhw'n cael eu gweld yn mynegi gwrthwynebiad i driniaeth Israel o'r Palesteiniaid.Fel y soniwyd yn y Church Times, roedden nhw'n yn cael eu cyhuddo hefyd o 'arwain myfyrwyr mewn gweithgareddau amgylcheddol', ac o helpu myfyrwyr newydd brynu deunydd swyddfa'n rhad.
Ar ôl cyfnod mewn carchar milwraidd, cafodd Layan ei rhyddhau ddiwedd Awst ar fechnïaeth.Bydd ei threial o flaen Llys Milwrol Israel, ond mae hynny wedi'i ohirio nifer o weithiau ac erbyn hyn mae'r dyddiad wedi'i osod ar gyfer 25 Ionawr 2022. Mae'r achosion hyn yn cael eu cynnal mewn Hebraeg ac er bod yna gyfieithu mae'n bell o fod yn ddelfrydol. Gall tystiolaeth yn aml gael ei ddal yn ôl; ac mae cyfran yr euogfarnau y tu hwnt i 90%.
Disgrifir Layan gan ei hoffeiriad plwyf fel un o 'ymddygiad tawel, ysbryd tyner a photensial anhygoel' ac wedi'i magu gan ei theulu i fyw ei ffydd beth bynnag yw'r heriau sy'n ei hwynebu.Nid yw stori Layan yn eithriad.
Dwy ferch ifanc, Nadolig yr adeg hynny a nawr, ond wedi'u plethu trwy ffydd yn Nuw.Rhoddodd Mair ei 'ie' i Dduw a hi oedd cludydd Duw, yn dod â chariad a heddwch i'r byd.Mae Layan, wedi'i bedyddio ac yn byw gyda'i ffydd yn Nuw, wedi bod trwy brofiadau na allwn ni, yma, eu dychmygu; ac mae'r profiadau hynny'n parhau.Mae yna gymaint yn fwy y gellid ei ddweud, ond i gloi, bydded i Dduw fod gyda Layan, a'i theulu a phawb sy'n ei chefnogi, yn bell ac agos, ar yr adeg yma.
Gweddïwch
- fod pobl ar draws y byd yn cael byw mewn heddwch yng ngwald eu genedigaeth, a hynny heb eu herlyn
- dros Esgobaeth Jerwsalem wrth iddi rannu neges yr efengyl o garu cymydog a cheisio heddwch a chymod
- fod pobl o bob ffydd yn byw gyda’i gilydd mewn heddwch a chyda pharch at eraill
Christmas - then and now
At Christmas, perhaps more than at any other time, our bible readings take us to the lands of bible. We enter into the Nativity Story and the wonder of God born as one of us in Jesus, born of Mary as a vulnerable baby in need of his mother’s care; and that of Joseph. All too easily the images invoked take us away from the reality of Palestine and Israel in this present day. It is easy too, to forget that Jesus was born into an occupied land.
We would like to share with you the story of a young woman, who was born and lives in an occupied land today. Her story was brought to the Archbishop earlier in the year, and we have been following her story since then. She lives in Palestine and is a student at the university of Birzeit founded by members of her family a few generations ago. She is a Christian and part of her local Anglican congregation; and she is one of around 5,000 Anglicans across the Holy Land.
Life is not easy for Christians. Within Israel there are more than 60 laws used to discriminate against them, as non-Jews, ranging from restrictions on housing, education to family re-unions, nor are they allowed full citizenship or nationality rights. The situation is even more perilous in the Israeli Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Layan, the young woman of this story, along with other students was arrested and taken from her home by the Israeli military on 7 July 2021. They were accused of belonging to an ‘unlawful association’, which was a union at the university they were required to join; and were regarded as expressing opposition to the Israeli treatment of Palestinians. As was mentioned in Church Times, they were accused too of ‘leading students in environmental activities’, and helping new students buy low-cost stationary.
After time in a military prison, Layan was released in late August on bail. Her trial will be before an Israeli Military Court, but this has been adjourned several times and the date now set is 25 January 2022. These trials are conducted in Hebrew and whilst there is translation it is far from ideal, and evidence can often be withheld; the conviction rate exceeds 90%.
Layan is described by her parish priest as having a ‘calm demeanour, tender spirit and incredible potential’ and raised by her family to live out her faith whatever the challenges to be faced are. The story of Layan is not an exception.
Two young women, a Christmas then and now, but intertwined through faith in God. Mary gave her ‘yes’ to God and was the God-bearer, bringing love and peace into the world. Layan, baptised and living with her faith in God, has been through experiences that we, here, cannot imagine; and continues to experience too. There is so more that could be said, but to close, may God be with Layan, and her family and all who are supporting her, far and near, at this time.
Please pray for:
- people across the world to live at peace in the country of their birth without persecution
- the Diocese of Jerusalem as they share the gospel message of loved of neighbour and seek peace and reconciliation
- that people of all faiths may live side by side in peace and with respect of others