Today's Scripture Reading (October 27, 2023): Isaiah 66
As I write
this post, the unrest in Israel and the Gaza Strip seems to grow. And over the
past few days, I have received more messages reminding me to keep Israel in my
prayers, which they are almost every minute of the day. However, my response
has remained that we need to also keep the Palestinians, Hamas, and other
anti-Israel actors in our prayers; after all, regardless of which side we find
ourselves, Jesus reminded us,
But I
tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your
Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends
rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you
love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? And if you greet only your
own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that
(Matthew 5:44-47).
If we
are really followers of Christ, then it is our duty to pray for everyone in the
area, including the innocent victims and the participants on both sides of the
conflict.
But
living on the other side of the world, it may be a little surprising and scary
that the conflict is here. Like so many others, I have heard the horror stories
of students who identify with one side of the conflict and are scared as they
go to class for fear that someone will be offended by their heritage or
ancestors. It was a little disconcerting to see a car filled with young adults
of Palestinian descent, all sitting on the windows of their vehicle, fully
masked, waving Palestinian flags, honking their horns, and screaming at others
in a language that I didn't understand, driving through a shopping mall in my
little corner of the world. The war isn't just in the Middle East; it has come
home to where I live with my family and children.
In
the closing of his prophecy, Isaiah speaks of a day when peace will come to
Jerusalem like a river. (Time to break into a rousing version of the old Sunday
School song "I've Got Peace like a River.”) But the peace doesn't just
stay with Jerusalem. Isaiah's prophecy is that peace will begin in Jerusalem
but then flood to the other nations and extend to the world. Isaiah speaks of a
time that this world has never known, when we live in true peace, one with the
other. It is a time that I pray for, even as I pray for Israel, the Gaza Strip,
Hamas, and other actors with whom I agree and disagree. Because peace is the
counter-cultural movement toward which God is calling us. And maybe today is
the day that it starts with us.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: Esther 1
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