Palestinians and Jews: both are human beings

With the current hostilities raging in the Middle East with no end in sight many scrambling for ways to bring the two sides to the table and talk.  But, neither side seems willing to stop the bloodshed till their demands for a ceasefire are met.  This is not a spontaneous display of anger though it is a show of power; the power of destruction that transforms the human being into a cog of destruction that grinds the innocent into dust as if they were lifeless objects.  It’s not till enemies can see the other as a human being and have love in their hearts that they will be willing to take the risk of peace. 

Hammas and Israel have calculated the cost of their furious attacks on each other in a gamble to gain leverage in the Palestinian/Jewish dilemma.  Who gets to dictate the terms of peace and how it affects the people is the ongoing question.  The one who has the power, not necessarily military power, but more importantly political power, world clout, the backing of the people will be the one to dictate the terms of peace.  But, if one side doesn’t have the power to dictate peace they’re capable of using terrorism or overwhelming military might to delay peace till they win a more favorable position.  Otherwise, all this fighting and bloodshed is for a war that fighting will never win and in the end it’s the people who suffer as two powers duke it out.

True peace, however, isn’t going to come thru any kind of negotiated terms.  Neither will lasting peace that brings justice and harmony in the region be won by building walls, arming checkpoints, or rockets.  Peace is only possible when both sides are willing to accept the other as a legitimate human being who has just as much a right to justice, land, and all the blessings life has to give as they do.  It’s only when enemies lay down their weapons and seek each other’s well being that they’re is true peace. 

The conditions for true peace to become reality require seeing the world thru different eyes.  Instead of using power and might to achieve an agenda (and this would include the military underdog using terror) both sides need to put aside the agenda itself.  An offer of forgiveness needs to be given to the victimizer.  A table of food set in the midst of the wasteland that invites everyone to come and eat together so that everyone can step into the other person’s shoes and see the world from their perspective.  Till Israelis are willing to see the world from the perspective of the Palestinians and Palestinians see the world from the perspective of the Israelis it’s difficult if not impossible for either side to understand why their fighting and find a solution to the hostilities. 

God stepped into our world in Christ and took on a human perspective of life.  The result was death, not one that is meaningless leading to nihilism, but a death filled with meaning because Christ laid down power in order to bring life.  Instead using whatever power Jesus had as the Son of God (remember he was doing all these miracles including raising the dead like Lazarus) he lets go of his power and becomes weak.  This weakness shows the way to true forgiveness just as Christ forgave his killers while hanging on the cross.  Enemies in any conflict need to lay down their power and forgive even if it means death otherwise they really have no desire for true peace.  The result of Christ’s death and forgiveness was life, the resurrection, which was only possible by dieing first.     

Peace in the Middle East will only come when all sides lay down their arms, thier power, and take the vulnerable act of stepping into each other’s shoes; even if this cost them their life.  It’s the only way to bring a lasting change.