The new flare up of conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians is grim. It’s hard to fathom the trauma that’s being sewn into the stories of so many people as they go to bed each night hoping they’ll wake in the morning.

It’s difficult for us, watching on, because the fog of war makes getting reliable and objective reporting of events very complicated. It’s also impossible to know where to start telling the history of the conflict – do you explain what happened yesterday in the context of what happened the day before or in the context of the last century or the last thousand years?

Should Christians pick a side in this fight? You might’ve heard that some Christians, particularly in the US, hold to a novel reading of Revelation 20 called “pre-millenialism”. I won’t go into the nitty gritty of that idea, but it has led to many Christians in the US being convinced that certain geo-political matters need to be squared away in the Middle East before Jesus will return to rule. This is sometimes called Christian Zionism and it means that Christians can feel the tug to support the modern nation of Israel in any conflict, right or wrong, because their victory builds towards Christ’s victory.

Friends, Jesus is not waiting for us to get the politics right on earth before he returns in glory to rule. He is waiting patiently, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He is waiting for yet more people to find salvation under the wing of his kingship.

Given that we have brothers and sisters in Christ on both sides of the wall in Israel, it’s wise for us to remain humble, allowing room in our hearts for compassion. We can pray, as Isa did on Sunday, for a swift end to the conflict, free of the idea that on the outcome of this fight swings salvation history.

grace and peace,

Steve