This week in the coverage of the conflict between Israel and Palestine there’s been a shift. After the initial bloody attacks from Hamas fighters against civilian Israelis, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up blue and white in support of Israel. But as the Palestinian civilian death toll has ticked up through a breath-taking bombing response; as Gaza has been besieged even more than usual generating millions of displaced people within the city; and the boots-on-the-ground counter-offensive hasn’t begun yet, some of our political leaders are beginning to ask, “Should we be completely behind Israel on this?”
In other words, the actual war in the Middle East has given birth to a culture war here at home. Our political leaders, media personalities, even Tiktok get-ready-with-me influencers are being challenged to unequivocally come out in support of Israel – right or wrong, or to demand an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a two-state solution.
This trickles down to Christians too. A lot of Christians are announcing on social media that they “stand with Israel” or “stand with Palestinians.” Quasi-Theological arguments are sometimes offered for why Christians should take a stance one way or the other.
Many thousands of years before this fight, there was another one in that region, this time between the people of Old Israel and the city-state of Jericho. As Joshua was considering his battle strategy in Joshua 5, he was met by a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’
This man Joshua had met, we’re quickly told, is the commander of the LORD’s army. Indeed, this mysterious Angel of the Lord character goes on in the next chapter to speak as though he is the LORD. So, we might expect him to answer “Don’t worry Joshie! I’m on your side, I’m here to give you back up – like the Elves showing up at Helms deep… you know from the movie version of the Two Towers… I know that bit’s not in the book, obviously.”
But he doesn’t do that. He replies “Neither.” And we’d do well to notice that answer as the culture war rages around us. What the Angel of the Lord goes on to do is offer a way of salvation for his people that doesn’t endorse their faithlessness. It’s a method of salvation that can only be from the Lord.
I’d been pondering this as I heard about Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. The Catholic Cardinal to Jerusalem. In his role he’s moved between the Israeli and Palestinian camps serving churches on both sides of the border wall. His commitment to this work means he’s not a respecter of these ethnic divisions. This week he has publicly offered to give himself up to Hamas in exchange for the child hostages. His life for theirs. There are significant backchannel negotiations going on at the moment and this exchange may take place next week. His act of selflessness may well save the lives of scores of children – a beautiful display of the gospel where one life is traded for many. Likewise, it will make bombing Gaza to rubble more complicated, after all, could Israel risk killing the man who set their children free?
As we face the culture war at home, or the actual war abroad, lets pray for efforts like this to bring about a peace that can be chalked down to a surprising intervention of the Lord. If you’d like some help praying for these conflicts, here’s a little prayer from the Anglican prayers for peace:
Most holy God and Father,
hear our prayers for all who strive for peace
and all who fight for justice.
Help us, who today remember the cost of war,
to work for a better tomorrow;
and, as we commend to you lives lost in terror and conflict,
bring us all, in the end, to the peace of your presence;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
grace and Peace,
Steve