Peace Prevails
Two things can be true at once. As empathetic Christians, our hearts can break for more than one group of people at a time. After the tragedy of the Holocaust, the United Nations decided to establish a safe-haven for the Jewish people in 1948. Creating the nation of Israel was the least that the world could do after they endured such horrific mistreatment. With all the desire that I can possess, I want the Jewish people to have a safe place to call home. My heart breaks for the innocent Israeli people.
At the same time, the land that allowed for this safe-haven to take place was not empty. Since its beginning, the Israeli government has been encroaching little by little, confining more and more of the Palestinian people to a smaller and smaller geographic area. Densely populated areas, mixed with severe poverty, is a certain recipe for chaos and unrest. Being slowly suffocated over the years, my heart breaks for the innocent Palestinian people.
From the Great March of Return in 2018, when innocent Palestinians were killed, to the terrorist attack this October 7th, when innocent Israelis were killed, violence never seems to end. As Christians, the only response that seems to make sense after such tragedies is a broken heart. Peace… true peace, is one of the most difficult things to achieve. Peace requires justice, and justice is often grey. We create entire systems to try and establish justice, but at the end of the day, justice is a feeling. Whether or not someone feels justified is subjective.
As long as there are people killing others in the name of their perceived justice, Christ-followers must be insisting on a path of non-violence. Why? Because violence begets more violence. There is always another way. Violence is a shortcut that never truly solves the problem. Bombs can never bring peace. The moral consideration involves how to solve our problems without resorting to violence, this is true for everyone.
The key to peace is to work for it early. Peace requires addressing grievance before it compounds. As Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “a riot is the voice of the unheard.” In other words, injustice does not self-correct. Though violence is never justified, it is often inevitable. As Christians, I wonder if we’re able to listen? I wonder how we can broker peace? And no matter what, we must remain in Christ’s teaching of forgiveness, mercy, and love.
The conflict in the Middle East is complex, multifaceted, and expands over decades. I am no expert. However, I know whatever the rightful path looks like, it consists of an avocation for peace. When innocent lives are lost, regardless of the reason, we lose the moral high ground. As long as protests are peaceful, the moral high ground is kept. While we strive to give voice to the voiceless, advocating for peace, we represent the Gospel of Jesus. Our heart breaks when people lose sight of love.
Together, we rally behind the vison that Christ lays out for us. Jesus insists that “everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” (John 13:35). In other words, you can tell who my disciples are by who’s loving one another. My friends, just love. I don’t have the answers. I’m not the smartest person on the subject. But I do know that God’s peace will prevail. Our earthly conflicts will not last. Love and life win, always!
Continue to pray,
Pastor Lucas