Brian H had a great poem on his blog recently about the task of a Christian being recklessness. Well a lot of rage has gathered inside me that needs venting.
Violence breeds violence. Violence escalates. How stupid is mankind? Will we never learn? Violence makes things worse.
Last week the Israeli army killed 125 people in Gaza (over half civilians including many children). Their blockade on Gaza amounts to collective punishment by denying Palestinians their basic human needs. Christian Aid, Amnesty and other organisations have critisised the situation stating that the peopel of Gaza are 'battered and starved'.
The Israeli government say their actions are to stop rocket fire. Has it stopped? Of course not it has got worse. The threat on the Israeli people has become greater because of their government's actions.
Also last week a Palestinian gunman slaughtered 9 Israeli students in Jerusalem. What did he hope to achieve by taking these innocent lives? He has put his own people under more threat.
Further afield..........
The US (and allies) want to defeat terrorism so they bomb the hell out of Afganistan and Iraq.
- The war costs the US $275 million per day
- Almost 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed and more than 60,000 wounded
- 700,000 Iraqis killed and 4 million refugees
The thing that pisses me off more than anything is Christians who (even on this blog) justify the some of the actions I have mentioned as being part of God's plan.
Not the God I believe in.......
The God I believe in makes it possible to view all men as equal- Arab and Jew, Iraqi and American.
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity. By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very nature, love creates and builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power."
((MLK) thanks Bro T!)
((MLK) thanks Bro T!)
6 comments:
beautiful
John
An interesting post, honest and concise.
Although Iraq has a significant price tag for those involved, I think the US government readily accepts the maintenance of the global supply of Iraqi oil would have a much greater impact and must be sustained regardless of the human costs or the bitterness that such policies engender in future generations.
The justification of violence is always a dangerous path but hopelessness, oppression, mass punishment have led to the radicalisation of young people whose naivety (whether they be from poleglass, brownlow, east belfast or Palestine) susceptable to views of those who play politics.
Ballymena........
Awh Im getting frustrated reading that. Some things in the world just get so frustrating and so out of reach. We need Christian politians, in a influencial position of power. I feel so helpless, we have a duty to pray for this, we need to do something, ..awk, this just isn't fair. Im glad your writing this, it keeps me focused on what really matters.
Laura H
sorry John this comment isn't about ur post (although it was great!) but how do i get your blog on my page?? i did it with Scott's but cant remember how!!!
Hi John
I understand your anger but are you saying that Israel has no special place in the plans of God?
This is contrary to the explicit words of every OT prophet and also Paul (read Romans).
I wouldnt for a second say that God baptizes everything the state of Israel does, God has continual problems with Israel's evil throughout the OT, so why should today be different?
but the prophets clearly say Israel has an eternal future with God regardless ie a perfect, properous, sinless state at peace with the world. That is the word from EVERY ot prophet.
But there is no need to think that this in anyway justifies killing Palestinians - there is no direct connection.
I might also question, though, whether God does indeed rain down wrath and destruction on the world today.
He did the flood.
He did Sodom and Gomorroah.
IN Revelation I'm afraid he seems to kill countless people with war, plague, famine, etc etc.
Would Palestinians (or Israelis) be exempt from this today and if so why?
I also must point out that of the Palestinians that were made refugees in 1948, roughly the same number of Jews were expelled from the Arab world in the same haste and without any claim to their lands there or their bank accounts.
Most of these Jews went to Israel for safety, and - you guessed it- took up land formerly occupied by Palestinians.
So you see how Arab hatred for Jews and Israel has so excerbated the plight of Palestinians today?
Please just dont take it that I am having a pop; if there is no integrity to our history or theology then there is no foundation to move forward on.
All the above is factual and is worthy of integration into anyone's complete worldview on the middle east.
blessings
A brother
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