Does Israel need our response to all that has happened? No. Do they need our opinions about how it could have been prevented? No. Do they need our errant explanations about how God allowed it because of this sin or that rebellion? No. Do they need our judgment? No. Do they need us to explain how they should have guarded their borders more closely? No. What do they need? They need our prayers. They need us to enter into their suffering and pray for their hurting people. They need our compassion. So many are wounded by this tragedy! The waves around this event will be felt for months to come. 

We understand that. We know how it feels for an act of terror to be carried out on our soil. I love American history. I remember reading interviews with Southern soldiers after the Civil War. When asked why they fought the most common answer was “because they came on my land to fight me.” In other words they didn’t seek out this fight. They didn’t provoke the violence. They responded to it. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 all over again. We understand. Let’s not forget how it feels when the time comes for us to care for Israel.

Christian, that time is now. I don’t care how you feel about Israel. It matters not to me if you agree with their politics or religious views. What I know is their people are hurting. This is where we work best! The world of the sufferer is our home field. We get it. Don’t walk away from them now. 

We live in a world that is saturated with pain and suffering. Since its inception this old world hasn’t known many moments of peace. Let’s see…there’s the Garden…well, that’s about it! We have been at war with each other, plagued by disease, responding to natural disasters, and carried away by grief since then. 

Evil incites every ounce of this pain. Whether the pain is the result of poor choices or something entirely out of our control is of no matter to the sufferer. We can decipher that later. What matters at the point of pain is genuine love and care. Only Christians can offer the healing love of God, the scarred hand of Christ, and the comforting balm of the Spirit. Pain meds don’t get the job done. Human compassion is nice in the moment, but it won’t last. Retreats are great until it’s time to reenter the real world. Only Christ can offer the sustenance required to make it through to the other side. Church, we are His Body. Enoughsaid.

I understand there is a lot of fear circulating around even the mention of Islam. We hear the Arabic language and get nervous. We’ve been here before as a nation. Remember the Japaneseinternment camps on our soil during WWII? How about McCarthyism? It has always been wrong to paint justice with a wide brush. It’s still not ok. I understand the motivation for the fear. No one wants to experience what Israel is going through right now. We shudder at the thought of another 9/11. BUT, isn’t there another emotion that is stronger than fear? We like to scream at the top of our voices at political rallies that “We Are Christians!” What does it say about us when our first response to the hurting world is “We don’t have time to deal with you right now”? 

I know there are plenty of objections to what I’m saying. I’m not a politician. There are questions they have to answer that I never will. I can’t imagine the weight that is on the the leaders of Israel right now. My point of view is that of a simple Christ follower. I don’t get to make the decision to refuse refugees or allow them entry; when and where to call for missile strikes, hoping we don’t take out civilians. I get to make the decision to love the ones I see. Will I treat the ‘refugees’ in my world with contempt or will I embrace them?  Will I love the least of these or will I turn them away. Our attack may come soon. I pray it’s not because they failed to see Jesus in us. Forgive my naivety. This is just how I see it.