Ordinary Eve
How do we respond to the Middle East Crisis?
How are we to respond to the current situation in the Middle East? The situation was undeniably started by the Hezbollah raid into Israel, in which eight Israeli soldiers were killed and two were captured. Israel's response seems out of proportion to the original offence. Whilst power installations and strategic targets have all been hit civilian targets and neutral agencies have been damaged in their strikes. Furthermore Israel has stated that it holds the government of Lebanon responsible for the acts which are in fact orchestrated by Hezbollah, a party with only 2 ministers in the Lebanese government, and it justifies the continued shelling on those grounds. And the one country that might be able to influence Israel, the United States, is demonstrably reluctant to act and is believed to have given Israel a window in which to continue the conflict and see where it goes.
Where is God?
Where is God in all this? How are Christians supposed to react to such a difficult situation? On what side do we plant our flag?
We need to acknowledge that the idea of a just war, a simple good vs. evil conflict, is a childish dream. In any conflict there are many historical, political and economic reasons that come together at one time to create the atmosphere of tension that can result in such an outbreak. When the Old Testament states that the "sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the sons to the second and third generation" it accurately predicts that the results of evil and sin have repercussions way beyond the initial action. It takes an exceptional leader or group of leaders to direct their people away from hatred and violence into peace. It takes an exceptional people to follow them. Hatred is easy - it is our instinctive survival reaction and it springs directly out of fear.
Example for us all
The clearest modern example is the avoidance of racial warfare and blood bath in South Africa, where the black majority was led by Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr Alex Boraine amongst others, away from conflict towards democratic resolution of their problems, including the innovative Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Instead of punishing perpetrators of horrendous civil rights outrages the commission was able to offer amnesty, reparation, rehabilitation.
The clearest example of punitive measures going sadly awry can be seen in the reparations policy of the Allies in the First World War against the German state, causing poverty, stripping them of their self-respect and providing a well-manured breeding ground for the Nazis.
Which side?
Both sides of this conflict are wrong, both sides need to stop. And we are wrong too if we sit back and allow our own government to refuse to be involved. It may well be in our interest as a temporal state to allow these parties to battle it out but it's not in our interest as Christians. Making peace sometimes means not knowing exactly where you stand, except that you stand on the side of peace. Deaths will occur on both sides, atrocities on both sides, blame and misery on both sides. But it is our role to ask our government to participate on the side of peace for the sake of the people on both sides, not to sit back and watch the actions from the sidelines because it will make our own lives easier.
President Bush has got involved reluctantly. It suits the US to let the two countries battle it out, but as the Northern Irish conflict has shown it is peacemaking and controlled response that makes peace, not war that makes peace. And as we all know the good things in life come when people are not being bombed and having their livelihoods and relationships shattered by outside forces.
What can we do?
Take the third way. You don't have to make up your mind about who is right and who is wrong to know that the situation is wrong. Email Tony Blair and let make your feelings known. And pray for everyone caught up in the conflict whether you agree with their position or not.
Katie Streten
