05-03-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 3, 2024
I talked about this subject a couple weeks ago, but I will confess to you that I remain challenged when it comes to finding the right words or some sort of sensible way of talking about the violence between Israel and Gaza, complicated by Hamas, Iran, and other players. And I was looking forward to our Interfaith Prayer Walk that was canceled out of concern for possible severe weather. There was something hopeful in my heart as I imagined walking to different prayer stations, including those from the Jewish and Muslim faiths. These are people I know, and as a whole, they are committed to the ideas of peace, understanding, reconciliation, and healing. Even those who have family in the Region speak with great hope of finding a way forward where everyone, no matter where they live or what religion they profess, can live in a spirit of security and calm.

Again, I don’t have an answer, and sadly, I do not believe there is one simple answer that will untangle the complexity of the situation. What I would prayerfully request is for people to try to hold in an empathetic tension what might appear to be competing ideas. There is no way of justifying the brutal and indiscriminate attack on Israel, and there is no way of justifying the brutal and indiscriminate response. I recognize that I probably work from a naive and a glass half-full mindset. There is a part of me that must believe that what I have learned from the life of Jesus is not idealistic nonsense run amuck. I think about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. As Apartheid began to unravel and white minority rule was replaced with the leadership of Nelson Mandela, it was Desmond Tutu who offered a way forward. Many people laughed at the notion of finding reconciliation, though it was honest confession, the sharing of painful truths, and victims facing those who had perpetrated the violence that created a pathway forward. It was not perfect, but South Africa found some resemblance of peace through a process that was gut-wrenching at times, but also recognized that true healing and reconciliation require everyone to tell their stories. Maybe there is something for us to learn in this moment.

Your gift to this world, O God, came with the name Prince of Peace. May we be those who honor and serve the way of peace. Amen.