GREETINGS,
Thank you for the many prayers and thoughts of concern and care as we heard of the horrendous terrorism attack by Hamas on the towns bordering the Gaza strip. I am terribly sad and hold the nation of Israel in prayer as they grieve and figure out how to move forward.
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to spend time in Israel and visit many places that are peace-filled where Jews, Muslims, Christians, Israeli, and Palestinian people live together. These people are navigating a very difficult course and I, from my very limited experience, think they are doing it well, not perfect but well. I have hope for the people, these strong and determined people who live there.
My hope in sharing my experience of Israel and the Holy Land with you is to give you another voice along with the headline news and the history of this place. The Middle East is a very different culture than the West. One of our lecturers said that if you want to understand the West, you need to know Christianity because Christianity shaped and formed the West. If you want to understand the Middle East you have to know many narratives and history and everyone has an opinion. It is a complicated place and we may want swift solutions but that says more about us than the reality of their culture. Remember this land has been occupied more than it has been ruled from within and outside influences including the United States as well as the Arab world are interested in what happens in the country of Israel.
I ask you to pray. Pray for peace. Pray for wise leaders who use their knowledge to the best of their ability to love this world and the people God created. Pray for the peoples of Israel. Pray for those who grieve and who wonder what has happened to their loved ones. Pray for those who are held hostage. Pray for our enemies, like Jesus did, “forgive them for they know not what they do.” Pray for hearts to be open to God’s will, including our own hearts.
Pray giving thanks to God and remembering God’s faithfulness. Pray, remembering all you know about how God works in this world, a world God deeply loves and cares for and pray knowing that God calls us to work with him. Pray on your knees with humility before God who works patiently with us, even when we are bent on destruction, God doesn’t give up or give in but God works with us and through us. This is God’s good news, and we get to be a part of it and we keep praying, listening well for God’s discerning ways.
Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,
Pastor Connie Spitzack
