Names of cities we read in the Bible – Tyre and Sidon – now hit by Israeli airstrikes in its claim to root out Hezbollah, a militant group still located in southern Lebanon. One has to wonder what Netanyahu is thinking, waging a war on two fronts, north and south.
Although the toll doesn’t even begin to match what has occurred in Gaza, the number of airstrikes is still overwhelming. It almost makes us turn our eyes away from the terrible devastation in Gaza. An Israeli magazine, +972, one that is critical of the government’s war stance, reports that some Israeli generals want to literally wipe out Gaza.
And the airstrikes pull our attention away from the ongoing repression in the West Bank, routing both Christian and Palestinian farmers in the face of settlement expansion. Too long has the U.S. permitted Israel to conflate criticism of its policies with anti-Semitism, which it is not. Soon will come Advent and Christmas – what then for Christians?
Prayer for the Day
Why is it always like this, O God, parents mourning their dead children,
As the walls around our inaction become taller, more solid?
How do we shut our eyes, O Lord, as more are harmed and die,
As we struggle and stumble in our efforts for peace?
Break into our hearts so that we really see the destruction,
And open our minds to the reality so plain before us.
In the name of the One who embraced the children,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Indifference is not an option. As Christians, we cannot afford to remain silent in the face of any injustice. Our silence will be perceived as complicity, particularly by those we aim to reach with the love and hope of Jesus Christ. For these reasons, it is imperative for Christians to unreservedly speak out against all forms of injustice, including the Israeli occupation. Taking a principled stand against oppression and discrimination is the core of the biblical teachings and the Christian message.
Dr. Fares Abraham, Palestinian Christian from the West Bank
How lonely sits the city that once was full of people!
How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal
She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers, she has no one to comfort her;
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her, becoming her enemies.
Lamentations of Jeremiah 1: 1-2