Israel-Palestine conflict: Where is Christ in this?

The developments of this week in the centuries-old Israel-Palestine conflict have created a lot of clashes of opinions. Christians have taken sides, mostly on the Israeli side. The media is divided but mostly on the side of Israel.

The reasons for the support for Israel are many. First sympathies. Historically, they had been a persecuted minority except in India and probably in the United States. Who can ignore the six million Jews who died in Hitler’s gas chambers? The sorrowful part of their history, along with the propaganda in favour of them, has created a lot of sympathy for them.

In addition to the popular sympathy for Israel, some Christians also find that what happens in Israel is the fulfilment of Biblical prophecies. These Christians think that all Palestinians are Muslims, though a significant number of them are Christians. Many Christian Holy places are in Palestinian territory (including Bethlehem, Jericho, Hebron, etc.).

Many Christians think that the Jewish nation is a friend of Christianity. But there is a lot of intolerance in Israel. Attacks on Christian churches are a regular event that fanatic Jews stage. There are restrictions on building churches and Christian institutions in Israel. Even a person who is Jew by birth but converted to another religion is not eligible for immigration to Israel. This includes Messianic Jews born outside Israel. They are denied citizenship, though they have Jewish blood running in their veins, but they are different by faith.

All these are facts of history.

Jews have a right to live in their land, and Palestinians also have the same right. Historically, they have lived in that land for centuries. The Jews are Palestinians who were in exile and Diaspora for centuries and returned in different waves over centuries. They, too, have the right to live in their ancestral land. They needed a home to come back to. The best home is certainly the land where their ancestors lived.

We should recognize that the present conflict is not religious but purely political. It is the result of the Arabs hating the Jewish nation called Israel, their denial of Israel’s right to exist, and Israel’s arrogant claim that the whole land belongs to them. The whole of it never belonged to them in history. For most of their history, foreigners ruled over them, and the rest of the time, they had to live with people who did not share their faith and were from different ethnic stocks.

But modern Israel has the power to stand up to any threat to their existence. They have military power and international rapport to add to their might. Hamas, the violent face of the Palestinians, inflict pain upon the majority of neutral Palestinians by inciting the Israeli Defense Force to retaliate. I recall one Friday evening six years ago witnessing a conflict between Palestinian young men and Israeli soldiers in Bethlehem. The young men were pelting stones at the Israeli watchtower, and Israeli soldiers were firing at the unarmed youth. It was an unequal exchange.

One of the characters in a book by Israeli writer Amos Oz said that non-Jews must be treated as “drawers of water and cutters wood” (Joshua 9:23). Many people (but not all) in Israel share this view—treating non-Jews with contempt. At the same time, decades of subjugation is the propellent that powered the rockets from Gaza towards Israel. The arrogance fueled by the spirit of revenge is the reason why Gaza is being razed to the ground by Israeli counterattacks. Those who died in Gaza or lost their homes have never seen a rocket!

As a student of the Bible, I do not see any support in the Hebrew Bible (that I share with my Jewish friends) and the New Testament to justify this conflict between Israel and Palestine. There is no biblical prophecy to support the present situation. All the biblical prophecies are fulfilled except those related to the return of Christ, the rapture, the resurrection of the saints and their eternity with Christ. We are in the end times right now, waiting for the end of the end times. That may happen at any time.

Christians in Palestine and in Israel may have the right to take sides in this conflict. Because it is a matter of their nationality and existence. But this does not apply to Christians in other places.

Since there are no historical or biblical reasons to support either Israel or Palestine, where should Christ-followers stand in this conflict? The Christians should seek God’s will in this matter. They should ask what side Christ would take in this conflict where both sides suffer the loss of life, property, and their life of dignity? I think the heart of Christ is weeping as he wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35).

I am sure that the Christ whom I know does not support violence. He does not support either the hatred that Hamas fosters or the arrogance of the State of Israel. He mourns that his command to love each other has gone unheeded by the Palestinians and the Jews. If all Jews lived according to the Royal Law of Love (James 2:8), there would be no conflict. Jesus taught his disciples that violence is futile and destructive. His group of disciples included some former members of the Jewish terrorist movement called Zealots (Simon the Zealot). If Hamas heeded Jesus words, that “all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52), they would have reimagined the situation differently. Any Christian who thinks that it is right to justify violence for whatever reason is not a true follower of Christ.

The sculpture at the Oklahoma Bombing Memorial is eloquent! I stood before it, deeply contemplating the mind of my Lord!  In 1995, domestic terrorists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols exploded the Federal building in Oklahoma City, where 168 people, including children, died. The explosion injured more than 600 people. At the far end of the memorial stands the sculpture titled “Jesus Wept.” It depicts Jesus with his face covered in his palm, turned away from the site. It tells it all, the one who embraced death on the Calvary cross to raze down the wall of enmity and hatred is weeping and calls us to weep over the violence that is in the DNA of the unredeemed humankind.

Pandemic, panic and boredom

 Aside from claiming many lives, the Covid-19 pandemic also affects the mind. People panic and dive deep into boredom.

Cambridge dictionary defines panic as "a sudden, strong feeling of anxiety or fear that prevents reasonable thought and action and may spread to influence many people."

Anxiety can be caused by real or imaginary perceptions of threat and harm. Panic is also a type of fear triggered by our perceptions. Perceptions that trigger panic may be present or absent.

In addition, panic is especially undesirable because it prevents people from thinking or acting rationally. Panic impairs their ability to rationally think and act.

Panic drives many people to explore tips about healthy living, avoiding, or managing Covid that are available all over the internet out of panic.

There are many factors that cause panic during the pandemic. First, we are isolated by lockdowns, social distancing, fear of death, the loss of friends, etc. Suddenly, our support systems have disappeared, and we are forced to live in our own cocoons.

Related to this is the lack of access to whatever gave us meaning, enjoyment, and purpose in life. Imagine driving down to the favorite coffee place after a busy day only to be greeted by the closed sign. Or the seats are limited. You return dejected. Coffee made at home is never good as the one at the coffee house, moreover, we miss the crowd and the ambience of the place as well.

As the Cambridge Dictionary states, panic "may spread to influence many people". You might have guessed the reason people who panic turn to social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. They cannot control their fear without spreading it to others.

Initially, work from home (WFH) was welcomed with enthusiasm. But boredom developed due to WFH's social isolation. The result of boredom is to engage in useless activities that only provide us with wrong pleasure. We often use social media as a way of escaping boredom by forwarding things even before we open them. This is fun for people. Some people beat boredom by posting or sharing on social media like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Watching the growing number of likes and shares gives an adrenaline rush much greater than that of a large Cappuccino.

There is a flipside as well. Everyone is so busy posting (like you do) that they don't have time to read or like your post. The lack of likes and shares may also cause you to dip into depression. The dwindling number of likes and shares may be perceived as rejection, so you give the world a reason to remind you that you are not as popular as you thought. It hurts when ego is deflated as a punctured balloon.

How can we avoid panic and boredom? We must first recognize that we are not in control of our own lives. In fact, we cannot prevent many things from happening. For instance, the Corona Virus. There is no point panicking over things beyond our control. It is not to accept it as fate that we will suffer. Instead, it is to realize that God is in charge.

Second, we must recognize the reason for our existence. We do not exist for mere pleasure. Heaven is our goal, and we don't seek earthly pleasure to sustain our lives. "Joy of the Lord" means we draw pleasure from God's presence in our lives and looking forward to what is waiting for us in heaven. A worldview such as this provides an immunity to boredom caused by an absence of earthly pleasures.

Additionally, the advice is to stay calm, don't panic! Make sure you are not spreading your panic to others through your social media accounts. That would be a great service to humanity. Give yourself some time to make rational decisions before reacting.

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(Photo courtesy: Glyn Nelson licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Staying hopeful in hopeless situations

That was the most irrational suggestion; to buy a land in a country which at war when the enemy has advanced to the citadels of its capital. But that suggestion was from God.

Prophet Jeremiah had been prophesying that his beloved country, Judah, is to fall at the hands of the Babylonians. His prophecy has come true. The Babylonian army has besieged Jerusalem. It has been a year now; the Babylonians had been waiting for the surrender of the people in Jerusalem. Other prominent cities are already fallen. Judah is already under the control of the Babylon for ten years now.

But God told Jeremiah to buy a land in his village of Anathoth from his relative (Jeremiah 32). The whole country, including the village of Anathoth (just 5-6 km from Jerusalem) is about to be occupied by the Babylonians in a matter of days. Though Jeremiah protested, he had to surrender to the divine command, and he bought it. That was a risky deal—buying a land in a war-torn country, which is sure to fall to the enemy. But Jeremiah did it, or God convinced him to do that.

What was God's argument? God told Jeremiah, that it is a symbolic act. The Babylonian army is to have a sure victory and they will overrun the land in a matter of days. The king, nobles and many people will be exiled out of their country, if they are fortunate enough to survive the sword. However, God is going to bring them back in the future, to occupy their land to build their houses and dwell. Though it will take about seven decades, God will make it happen. Jeremiah had a double message. One of judgment—God is going to punish the people for their sins as he allows the Babylonians to rampage the land and people. At the same time, God's act is not only judgment. He also promised them hope. After seven decades of exile is over, they will return to their land. 

The message of judgment is proclaimed, and it is now taking place as the Babylonians army is positioned at the gates of Jerusalem. But in this situation of fear and hopelessness God want to assure them of the future hope of return to the land.

That hope must be demonstrated, and God asked Jeremiah to help. By buying a land, in a country threatened with war and imminent defeat, Jeremiah had to buy this piece of land to proclaim by his action that: "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’ Jeremiah 32:15). It was an act of trust in God's promises.

God judged his people as Jerusalem and its temple was destroyed and the people were taken to exile. But God did not forget his promise. Seventy years after this event, he brought his people back, as he promised to buy houses, fields, and vineyards in that land.

However, Jeremiah never claimed his property. A few years after the destruction of Jerusalem, he was dragged to Egypt and died there never to see the land he purchased during the wartime. That is the life of the prophet, they live out the word of God in absolute surrender without any questions asked. They are loser in some sense, but they made the point clear that God is not just a God of wrath but also hope and compassion. Purchasing the land, he lost money, so he was a loser in one sense. However, he inspired many to hope in God. 

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Photo courtesy: ("Netherlands-4257 - Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem" by archer10 (Dennis) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

The Lonely Jungle Babbler

Every day it comes, and pecks at the glass panel of the window of my study. It is a Jungle Babbler, a very common bird in the Indian subcontinent. It dances flying up and down and fluttering its wings. Sometimes, three or four times a day it repeats this ritual. I thought it is trying to get into my room or fly through as it can see the other side. But why does it keep coming, can't it make out after three or four attempts that it can't fly through? 

I told my Neighbor, whom I consider an expert on birds, about this winged visitor. She explained that the babbler is pecking at its own reflection, thinking that it is another bird. I thought of verifying her suggestion. The following day I kept the window half open, drawing one panel fully open. The babbler came as usual. Perched on the window, looked into my room through the open panel but did not enter the room or peck. But it moved to the side of the window where there is glass and started pecking on the glass and dancing. So, I my Neighbor is right, it was pecking at its own reflection, thinking it is another bird. 

The Jungle Babblers are found in flocks of seven; that is why they are called "Sath Bhai" in Hindi, or "seven sisters" in English. But this Babbler moves around alone, not in a flock. Maybe it is an outcast. It may be searching for a friend or a flock to belong to. It comes many times a day, hoping to lure its image to join his company. Poor lonely Babbler. 

Loneliness is a terrible thing, to be alone, having no one to belong to. God pitied the man he created and said to himself that, "it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). So, God made a female companion for the first man. The institution of marriage is seen as God's remedy for loneliness. But not all humans get married, there are lots of singles, many widows and widowers as well. Loneliness prevails. 

Human beings are social. God intended that they live in the company of each other. Loneliness creates distress and meaninglessness. Like the lonely Jungle Babbler, we are looking for someone to belong to as we live in an increasingly individualist world. All that many of us can see is only our image and nobody else. That sinks us further into loneliness and depression. 

One way of beating loneliness is to experience the presence of God in our lives. The indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to experience the presence of God. Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit who will be with us "forever." Through his Spirit, Christ is present with us as he promised that he is with us till the end of the world. A person who holds on to the promises of God could be alone, but not lonely. 

The midday heat and the morning breeze

The night is hot, the mercury could touch 42 Celsius or more in the coming days. However, I normally sit on the balcony in the morning and evening for my prayer and meditation where there is a generous supply of refreshing morning breeze. But by midday, I forget the cool breeze and complain about the heat, sweat, and humidity. Often forget that the evening breeze will be cool, and then comes the morning with an even cooler breeze to make up for the heat of the noon.

We complain when life gets hotter but ignore the moments of cool breezes that we had and still have.

Not practical, nor pragmatic, just blind faith

I believe most of us are very practical in our thinking. Practical thinking is assessing if something that we plan to do is doable. For example, Bungee jumping. The observation that so many people have done it, and they are doing it makes me think that I can do it also. So, I do it. That is practical thinking.

However, though we often confuse practical thinking with pragmatic thinking they are different. In simpler terms the pragmatic decision also asks another question—though it is achievable, will it lead to some useful results? Bungee jumping is again the example. I can plunge into the ravine with one end a rope tied to my ankle and the other end firmly tied to a post, with all life-saving systems on stand-by. But what am I going to get out of it? In real terms, nothing useful is going to come out of it. So, though it is practical it is not pragmatic. But if I am descending to the ravine to save a person fallen into it, that Bungee jumping is not useless; the decision to do that is certainly pragmatic.
 

Ruth’s (the Biblical character) decision to follow Naomi was not pragmatic. Her sister Orpah weighed the pros and cons of following the mother-in-law to the homeland and decided that it is not pragmatic, so she returned home. However, Ruth was also equally persuaded by the mother-in-law to return; she also might have found out that it is not pragmatic to follow the frail old woman who cannot promise a better life. But she still followed her.
 

However, the rest of the story tells us that, though Ruth’s decision was not a well-considered pragmatic decision, it turned out to be the best for her and her mother-in-law. Orpah who was extremely pragmatic vanished from the story as she took the first step back home.
 

Ruth flourished, she found a husband who happened to be rich, kind, and righteous in his dealings. She became the grandmother of the great king of Israel, David, and also the ancestor of the promised Messiah. Her name is mentioned in the sacred books of two major ancient religions—Judaism and Christianity.
 

What turned Ruth’s decision a very pragmatic decision? It is the invisible mover who is behind the story of the Book of Ruth. The book got its name after the main character, Ruth. However, a closer look reveals that Ruth is not the main character, nor even Naomi. The name Ruth is mentioned 12 times in the Book excluding the pronouns referring to her. However, God is mentioned 19 times excluding pronouns! So, in the author’s mind, the crucial character is God rather than Ruth. Though he is not center stage, he moves the pieces, to bring what otherwise ended tragically to a happy ending—and they lived happily ever after.
God is the divine orchestrator, the invisible mover. He prompts Ruth to follow Naomi back to her homeland. He leads her to Boaz’s field during harvest season. He brings Boaz to the field when Ruth was there. He makes Naomi advise Ruth to go to Boaz’s threshing field to ask Boaz to marry her and protect her. The same invisible mover makes the marriage happen and a son born to the once destitute Ruth.

Though pragmatic thinking has its due place, the success of life is not all in the best pragmatic reasoning. It is God, the invisible mover behind each individual’s story decides the outcome of our life. Ruth decided to make Naomi’s God, her God. When she decided to follow the God of the Bible, God shadowed her wherever she went. 

(Photo courtesy: Arun Mathew)

Overstating miseries, overlooking divine possiblities

 

Sometimes we overstate our miseries. That is what Naomi did also.

It is true that he had become a widow, and she lost her sons as well. She is too to old get married again and have a husband or children. She had two words to describe her misery. She says to the townspeople who had come to welcome her back to Bethlehem: “I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” (Ruth 1:21).

A victim of self-pity, she calls herself empty. However, she is not empty; she had Ruth with her. In addition to her company and care Ruth later fills Naomi’s life with joy, security and happiness. Naomi failed to see that life will flourish again with that young woman who has left her kindred to follow her. In her distress she over stated her misery.

Another word that she used to describe her also shows how she overstated the pain of her life. When the women of her village called her Naomi (which in Hebrew means “sweet” or “pleasant”) she retorted that she is no more sweet but bitter (Hebrew, “mara”). She even changed her name! She is not saying that she is bitter towards anyone, but her life has no joy, it is a bundle of bitter experiences.

She thought that three tragedies has wiped out all joy from her. I can sympathize with her. One small discomfort could suck dry all our happiness. How much more three deaths in a row? She is justified in some sense. But she seems to have ignored the truth that sorrow is not there to stay forever. God being on her side, every mourning will turn into dancing. The psalmist puts it this way: “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psa 30:5, ESV).

However, we have no excuse to whine as Naomi did. Because God has assured us through his apostle that, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV). When there is no one in sight, the invisible God is there. He fills our cup until it overflows, leaves none of us empty and dry.

In times of extreme suffering the promises of God strengthens the believer: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12, ESV).

To overstate our troubles, we need to close our eyes toward the God of possibilities.

(Photo courtesy: First Presbyterian Church, La Grange)