State of the World

I don't often comment on current events...mostly because I feel that all the analysis has been done by experts. However, I've been listening to NPR reporting on the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, so it's on my mind.

I guess I don't understand how hate can run that deep. Just a few years ago, Israel pulled out of Lebanon. Was it only last year that Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip? I heard a radio commentator state that Israel saw these acts as acts of peace, but Islamic extremists saw them as acts of weakness to be exploited. That comment has hung with me these last couple of days. It makes me wonder when there is truly an act of peace. Even if one party intends peace, it may not be interpreted as such. Will mistrust and hate always pervade. What can Israel do to prove that it wants peace with the world, yet not be crushed out of existence? Maybe nothing.

Even as I write this, I question Israel's peaceful intentions. Their reactions often seem overly harsh. Twice now, they have had soldiers kidnapped. In response, they have killed lots of civilians in bombing raids. This is way more than "an eye for an eye". This is using an act of aggression as an excuse to perform an even bigger act of aggression.

Who's at fault? I'm not sure that any person, or any party, is at fault. This is something that we have set up for centuries. It can't be undone quickly. Somehow there needs to be an understanding that we all have to live in this world together. When someone is hurting, we are all hurting. People don't seem to get that.

One of my criticisms of the National Youth Gathering, and particularly the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event, is that they did not stress that we are all the body of Christ. We need to learn how we live together faithfully. We have too much of the "I have no need of you" sentiment going on in the world. I think an important aspect of my theology is that we need one another in order to survive this world. We cannot ignore others, because their pain is our pain. God sees us as a collective. God will not pick out those whom God favors. We need to let people know that. They are connected to one another.

So, I started with Israel, and I've gone to San Antonio in one post. However, I think that the human race needs an attitude adjustment. We need to see one another as valuable. Valuable to each one of us.

If God loves each one, then so should we.