Choosing Sides
News feeds have been particularly troubling over the past couple of weeks. Terrorist attacks by Islamic militants against Israel and retaliatory responses have left destruction, bloodshed, and untold human suffering in their wake.
Media responses to these events have only exacerbated division within our nation as people have coalesced into camps supporting or justifying one side or the other. Likely, we have all been caught up in a discussion or debate where our rational thinking has been questioned based on our responses to this ongoing issue between Israel and Palestinians in the Middle East.
Have we seriously considered whose side God is on in this chaos? God's heart breaks whenever there is division, war, destruction, and continued lives snuffed out. From the moment of creation to the present day, the desire of God for humanity has been unity and peace, inhabiting the earth with care for the concerns of others and in full relationship with God and every other person made in the image of God.
The scriptures are replete with a countenance to live peacefully and in unity with one another.
How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity! Psalm 133
Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called… 1 Peter 3:8
Whenever there is war and destruction on any scale, what should be our response, given that we strive to live as followers of Jesus? Certainly, God's heart breaks for all of it. From our distance and relatively peaceful surroundings, it is difficult to fathom how anyone could be so hell-bent on bringing harm to innocent people with such force—whether in retaliation for attacks or in response to a sense of injustice.
Ultimately, no side in a war is God's side. May each of us seek to share the spirit of peace in our discussions in the same way we desire to see it prevail in war-torn nations. As we pray for peace in the Middle East, let each of us ask God to intervene in our hearts at the same time.
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As RPC’s Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach, Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss, has a heart for service and a diverse array of experiences in the mission field. Be sure to subscribe to the Mission Outreach Blog to read and follow along as he documents his personal journey and shares his vision for RPC’s mission outreach commitment. Along with providing meaningful resources, this blog will help jumpstart the important conversations our church community must be having about missional living.
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss is the Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach at RPC. Dan is particularly passionate about encouraging the church to reflect the diversity found in its surrounding community in regard to age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status.