How Long Oh Lord?

My heart is sad. A few weeks ago we as a church were in a period of waiting. We waited in quiet anticipation for the babe of peace, God as Man. We recognized the darkness of the world and eagerly awaited a glimmer of light. On Christmas we were jubilant as our expectation and our hope was recognized in the most absurd way. We worshipped a baby, the Prince of Peace, who would in turn have to flee for his life during political unrest.

And now Israel is once again in political unrest. The death toll of Palestinians in the past few days is astounding. Of the over 500 killed, 200 have been civilians. That’s over 500 who are now widowed, orphaned, childless, or homeless. I am reminded of that poignant moment in “Children of Men” when the child is born and the violence ends. For a moment, that child is seen as the culmination of struggle and hopefulness. For a moment, differences are set aside and there is only the reality of the baby. And then the fighting resumes.

I am reminded of the words of Martin Luther King, “It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it’s nonviolence or nonexistence.”

May our hope in this world not be misplaced. May it ever rest on that child who thought being born in a cave was a better way to usher in a new Kingdom than in a mansion with a military.

Jesus: be now with dying, the injured, the destitute, and their families.