I’m grateful for the connections we made and the affirmations we heard from AW readers at the Mennonite Church USA convention. It’s fun to hear people’s ideas for themes and articles — from Jubilee and student loans to Easter and atonement. If you have an idea, let us know!

One thing that stood out to me was the number of seminars dedicated to understanding the war in Gaza. I think this is a credit to Mennonite Action, and those who came before them, in drawing the denomination’s attention to Israel/Palestine. 

One seminar I attended was led by Jonny Rashid and Erica Lea-Simka on resisting antisemitism while working for peace in Palestine. They shared from their experiences and modeled how to work with people from differ­ent backgrounds and varying opinions.

A few times during the week there were mock demonstrations where organizers led hymns and chants, allowing conventiongoers to experience what it might feel like to join a larger public action.

It was moving to watch these hap­pen, and I hope they inspired more participation in demonstrations for justice. I’m sure Mennonite Action can point interested people in the right direction.

In June, my family and I visited my partner’s family in Spain. As we readied ourselves to fly home, we heard loud noises outside. Looking out the window, we saw hundreds of people walking down the street, calling for an end to the war in Palestine. My eldest, 8 years old, watched for at least 40 minutes, asking a lot of questions. He was amazed, and so was I.

It was uplifting to see that across the globe, in different languages, people are working for causes we care about. I was grateful to see that same energy at MC USA’s convention.