The Worth Of Knowing

Christian, how we let our faith shape us and how we view people is life changing. I have a few questions to hopefully, maybe, help check to see if we’re staying consistent with our beliefs:

– Is every human made in the image of God? Was every human formed carefully by God?

– Is a person’s value inherent or does it change based on what they do, where they live, or what they believe?

– How are Christians told to treat their enemies?

– So, Biblically, are Hamas and Israeli and Jewish lives of equal value? Why?

– How can we participate in God’s story of reconciling people from every nation, tribe and tongue to Himself?

Here are some concerns I’ve observed from Christians on social media and IRL and my inexperienced, imperfect thoughts:

What Hamas did on October 7th was unthinkable.

Agreed. So have been the 200+ days since then.

Hamas started the war.

It depends when your timetable starts – October 7th, 1948, etc. But, as I tell my kids, regardless of who started it we are each responsible for our own actions.

It was Israel’s land first.

Again, it depends what time in history you “start.” People move. People are pushed out. It’s often not fair. Real people with real lives are living there now. Past wrongs do not permit us do it again to the people living their now.

Hamas is using human shields.

It’s horrible. It’s a war crime. So is “pulling the trigger.” Both groups are responsible for their individual actions. Both show evidence of devaluing human life.

Hamas is hiding weapons underground.

Israel has weapons above ground.

Hamas doesn’t want a compromise – to them it’s a holy war.

It’s horrible and so sad. However, killing Hamas members will not squelch the hate for Israel, but increase it. Hate can’t push out hate.

Hamas wants to kill all Jews.

Again, it’s horrible. So is Israel not agreeing to a permanent ceasefire until all its war “objectives” have been met (until every Hamas terrorist is killed). Which is worse: Hamas vowing to wipe out an entire people or Israel vowing to wipe out an entire people? I hope both groups can find and address the root causes of this hatred.

Doesn’t Israel have a right to self-defense?

Of course, in equal proportion to what has been done to them. According to the numbers available to us, they’ve far exceeded that.

Israel will get the original promised land back – it’s Biblical.

Sure, in God’s timing in God’s way. The Bible also talks about a “partial hardening” coming over Israel (Romans 11:25). God doesn’t need us to fulfill his promises for us. This sort of thinking reminds me a bit of Abraham raping Hagar to fulfill God’s promise for Him.

Extreme Muslim beliefs take away basic human right from women.

It’s horrible.

Living is the most basic human right – let’s not take that from Muslims too.

Jews are the most hated group of people.

They may be, but they are still responsible for their actions. Killing people isn’t endearing them to those who hate them.

There’s always been and always will be fight over the land of Israel.

Every life lost in that fighting is valuable to God. Is it valuable to us? Are these lives worth fighting for just as much as the unborn babies’ lives in the US? Or does location change a persons value?

Lord, I pray for peace, salvation, and reconciliation with you.

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we read Ephesians 2 earlier this week as a family my daughter said, “We’re supposed to take the broken wall and make a temple.”

“For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups … Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭14-15, 20‬-‭21‬‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yes, sweet girl, call to all people to “come back to God,” watch Jesus break the things that divide us into rubble, and build a holy temple for the Lord.