Between us and God, is the chasm. The
abyss of never ending aloneness. I cross the barrier, the chasm,
through the Cross of Christ.
If we believe the Word of
God to be infallible and inerrant, what does it say to us today
about,
“The Situation"?
Can I, as a Christian, stand with
Israel and still stand with Palestine? I believe, I must. Can I as a
believer recognize the covenant role God extended to Israel and still
live the words of Jesus in the Gospels,
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.”
In
It's Easier to Reach Heaven, Than the End of the Street, A Jerusalem Memoir by
Emma Williams
shook me awake to the realities of a conflict I have been largely
unaware of and neglectfully ignorant to. A conflict I have
little capability to fathom, but a spiritual responsibility to
understand. I am woefully ignorant on the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict, but I also know it is my conflict. A conflict that lies
within the heart of every human.
Jesus said,
“The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” I remember a moment many years ago in which the reality of
the color scheme of heaven sank in.
I got it. I understood. Heaven
would not be what I imagined and I would not hold the place in it, I previously imagined I would. Things were going to be
radically different
. The true reality I see only dimly will one day become reality. What does that mean for how I live today?
Can any one of you
think of a nation – or even an individual for that matter – that
has ever become more moderate as a result of being starved? Could
anyone really imagine that a people who have suffered so much, as we
all agree those in Gaza have, will become less angry, or less
extreme, after being deliberately made hungry by the same people they
attribute their suffering to?
(page 363) Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” How does this apply to
you and I?
Of course everyone
wants peace. But before peace can come we need justice. There can be
no peace without justice....The Israeli government is not yet willing
to recognize that the Palestinians are here to stay. It's carrying
out a policy of ethnic cleansing, and is unwilling to look within, to
realize there's a problem inside Israeli society. As long as the US
supports this, it is ironically, giving support for the destruction
of Israel – and the Israeli lobby is certainly not to the benefit
of Israelis. (page 367) These are really difficult worlds to swallow, but what if Williams is right? What if the very existence of beloved Israel is threatened by US policy that ignores the basic human rights and needs of the Palestinians, also children of God?
It
was not until I had children, that I came to appreciate the
earth shaking that happens at the playground. Playgrounds are places
for powerful healing. Future leaders sift sand, swing, and slide
together. Hope can be mined on playgrounds. It is palatable and
present. We must not label one child a child of the covenant and
another the child of a terrorist. God forgive us.
Set us free.
We are to be people of peace. We must
fight for peace, not with human hands, but through the Holy Spirit.
We are to stand with those who cannot stand for themselves and
through Christ we are called to be living bridges bringing people
together. Promoting peace. Speaking peace. Voting peace. Praying
peace. Giving to peace.
Emma Williams book, first printed in the US in 2010, is a
must read for those seeking to understand the “Situation”. She
genuinely represents both sides with a perspective towards understanding that seeks to promote peace. I desire to judge neither my Israeli brother, nor my Palestinian brother. I am only now beginning to learn what I need to learn. We
are all part of humanity. All are God's children. I am responsible for what I believe.
Looking forward to watching this film when it comes off limited-release.
