| “Everybody sees a difficulty in the question of relations between Arabs and Jews. But not everybody sees that there is no solution to this question. No solution! There is a gulf, and nothing can bridge it… We, as a nation, want this country to be ours; the Arabs, as a nation, want this country to be theirs.”
--David Ben-Gurion
June 1919
This was the leadoff quotation in Time magazine’s recent treatment of the Middle East Crisis. The article was titled, “The War that Never Ends Begins a Violent New Chapter” (July 24, 2006). Granted Time wants people to keep reading the rest of the article, so they begin with an attention-grabbing and dramatic quote, but I thought it sure was a dour outlook. Although, to look at the fighting in that region, you might believe Ben-Gurion. So far, no sustainable, permanent, peaceful solution has been found.
On the one hand, as a Christian, I want to look at the quagmire and spout out a bumper sticker theology—“Jesus is the answer!” Of course, I know that this is in fact the truth: That as long as humans are fallen, and as long as we live this side of eternity, any chance at true, lasting peace will only be found through reliance on Christ and our participation in the grace, love, and peace that only he can give.
On the other hand, how is one to move forward with parties who don’t believe that? On what grounds can and should peace be established when the at-odds groups hold very different ideologies?
I’m certainly no expert on issues of peacemaking and reconciliation. And the more I try to educate myself about the war in the Middle East and wrap my brain around it, the more complicated I realize it is.
I can only pray and say along with the Psalmist, “O Lord, make haste to help us. O Lord, make speed to save us!” |
