The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict -11/12/23

On October 7, Hamas militants flooded Israel with a barrage of 3,000 rockets, approximately 2,500 terrorists, who brutally murdered more than 1,200 Israelis. About seventy of those, ironically, were Palestinian Israelis, almost 7,000 people injured. Several hundred were taken back to Gaza as hostages, a number of those American citizens. The response of the world has been bipolar. Many grieved. President Biden described this day as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Pro-Israel prayer gatherings and rallies took place in cities like Manhattan and Brooklyn. As thousands gathered, some held posters saying things like “Never Again Is Now.” Many had friends and family killed in the attack.

Yet many rejoiced over the attack. Some schoolgirls in the West Bank were led by their teacher chanting, “We are the daughters of Muhammed Dief,” who is the Hamas leader and calling for Zionists in Tel Aviv to be blown up. Over thirty student organizations at Harvard University claim that Israel is entirely responsible for the terrorist attack. The apartheid regime is the only one to blame, they claim. A mob in Sydney, Australia, chanting, “Gas the Jews.” Tens of thousands of people have been marching around the world from Madrid to Greece to Pakistan, chanting things like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which is a Hamas slogan for “Israel will be annihilated.”

Others called out things like “Khaybar, Khaybar, Ya Hud,” which in Arabic is something like “Watch out, Jews. Remember Khaybar.” So, what is Khaybar, and why would people around the world be taunting Jews with Khaybar? Khaybar was the Jewish settlement in the Arabian Desert, now Saudi Arabia, where Jewish people fled to when they were driven out of Medina by Muhammad in the seventh century. When Muhammad started Islam, he eventually fled from Mecca to Medina, and he assumed when he got to Medina that the Jewish population, which was large in Medina, would eagerly convert and follow him. He viewed Islam as the purifying replacement to Judaism. And when some of the Jews refused to convert, the men were killed, the women and children were enslaved, and obviously many of the Jews in the area fled for their lives. They ended up at Khaybar, and there they built homes and little fortresses, but eventually Muhammad and his forces crushed the Jews at Khaybar and forced them to live as tenant farmers, paying half of their harvest to the Muslims.

After Muhammad’s death, his military commanders would continue to conquer the Arabian Peninsula, which is Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman. And eventually they caught the Roman or Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire in a time of weakness. The two empires had been fighting each other so long; they were like two boxers who could hardly hold up their gloves. And as historian Tom Holland observes,

“The battle-wearied Roman and Persian empires, like over-cooked meat slipping off the bone, melted into the grasp of Arab warbands.”

So, the Muslim armies conquered what is today Israel or Palestine, formerly mostly Jewish and Christian.

Jerusalem was conquered by Caliph Umar in 638. That’s right below that circle. And from then on, Muslims, many Muslims view all that territory as Islamic land that has been liberated from the pagans. And even though it has been conquered by the Europeans, the Ottomans, Ottoman Empire, the British, etc., Islamic occupation is viewed as permanent. Others can inhabit, never in the majority. And this is made clear in Hamas’s charter, Article 11:

“The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is a religious Islamic endowment for all Muslims until Resurrection Day. It is forbidden to relinquish it or any part of it or give it up or any part of it.”

Generally, Jews and Christians are allowed to live under Islamic rule, but never in charge, never in the majority. And this is really important history to understand; otherwise, the repeated rejection of the two-state solution doesn’t make sense. For many Muslims, this land is Islamic since 638. Obviously, this is confusing to the Jewish people. For as historian Barbara Tuchman once wrote, Israel is

“the only nation in the world that is governing itself in the same territory, under the same name, with the same religion and the same language as it did 3000 years ago.”

So, here lies the conflict — two peoples claiming rights to this same real estate. And for a number of years, the land was fairly desolate, small Arab villages and Jewish people protecting their homes. But things really ramped up after World War II. The land became increasingly embattled, and there are some horrific stories that we don’t have time to walk through of both Jewish and Arab terrorism. Let me just give you two examples.

One, the massacre of Deir Yassin on April 9, 1948 — Approximately 130 Jewish terrorists with the paramilitary groups Irgun and Lehi attacked the Palestinian village of Deir Yassin and brutally murdered 107 soldiers, men, women, and children. The Jewish militants claimed, and this is true, that there were Arab militants using Deir Yassin to attack Jewish travelers on the road leading up to Jerusalem. Deir Yassin is over that road. But Jewish leaders as a whole condemned the attack as barbaric, but this slaughter prompted many Arabs to flee their homes and lands in fear. It also perpetuated more atrocities.

Example number 2, the massacre of the Hadassah Convoy. Four days after Deir Yassin, on April 13, ten vehicles were traveling together, mostly filled with unarmed doctors, lecturers, and nurses, heading to the Hadassah Hospital at Hebrew University. The cars and buses were surrounded by Arab militia. The shooting continued for six hours. Buses were covered with gasoline and lit on fire. The British soldiers nearby knew of the attack, refused to intervene, and when they finally did, 70 Jews had been shot or burned to death. Now, these are just two of many, many examples, but they set the backdrop for why the global community was crying out for some kind of two-state solution.

I think this history is important. I want to walk through some of these, just five (there were more) two-state solutions. Number 1 — the Peel Commission in 1937 recommended two independent states, one for Israel, one Arab. Eighty per cent of the land would go to the Arabs, twenty per cent to the Jewish people. The Arabs rejected the offer because they felt the land, they were to receive was not the best land.

Number 2 — the Palestine Plan of Partition, 1947, also known as the UN Partition Plan, recommended two states with an international zone in Jerusalem. Israel said yes. Arabs said no. So, on May 14th, 1948, Israel formed as a nation, and that night all the nations around Israel attacked — Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt. And the fighting continued until 1949. Israel gained some land. Egypt kept Gaza. Jordan kept the West Bank. Israel was admitted to the UN. But this is the time known by Arabs as “nakba,” the catastrophe. This is when Palestinians became permanent refugees. Over 700,000 sold their homes, fled, or were expelled unjustly. Many thought, when the war began, “If we flee, the Arab nations will crush the Jewish people, and we will come back and get our property.” That has not happened.

Number 3 — following the Six-Day War, in 1967, Egypt President Nasser closed the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping. That devastated Israeli imports. He also moved his military forces to the border of Israel and called for the UNEF, United Nations Emergency Force, to withdraw from Israel. Everyone knew what was coming. So, Israel struck preemptively and wiped out the Russian-provided Egyptian Air Force before they could get off the ground. Jordan and Syria joined in against Israel, yet they were defeated in six days. It is one of the most stunning military victories in history. Following the war, many Palestinians fled to Jordan, and again, some were unjustly driven out. So, the Arab nations gathered September 1967 to decide the future of the Palestinians. The Israeli defense minister said, “Everything is negotiable. How are we going to divide up the land?” The Arab League came back with their famous three “no’s” — No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel. And therefore, a Palestinian state was rejected again. Following the Oslo Accords in 1993, Israel gave over control of Jericho, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and other areas to the PLO.

Number 4 — Camp David, 2000. President Bill Clinton hosted Ehud Barak as prime minister of Israel, Yasser Arafat, PLO chairman. The debate here did not seem to be about boundaries as much as refugees. How many refugees, how many hundreds of thousands of refugees would be allowed back into the land? Saudi Prince Bandar said if Arafat does not accept what is available now, it won’t be a tragedy; it will be a crime against the Palestinians. Later, Bill Clinton wrote in his autobiography about those two weeks of deliberation, “I regret that in 2000 Arafat missed the opportunity to bring that nation into being and pray for the day when the dreams of the Palestinians for a state and a better life will be realized in a just and lasting peace.” But instead of peace, suicide bombings multiplied in Israel during the second intifada.

Number 5 — Ehud Olmert’s (prime minister) Peace Offer, 2008. This was the most generous in decades — ninety-four per cent of the West Bank, a link to Gaza, control of East Jerusalem, more land. Yet, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas rejected it. And once again, Palestinian leaders reject the two-state solution. Palestinian people suffer for it.

But it gets worse. In 2006, the residents of Gaza voted in Hamas as the majority party in their government, and they quickly wiped out the other parties. Who is Hamas? Hamas is a Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. The great thing about Hamas is there are no surprises. They tell you who they are. They tell you what they’re going to do. And then they do it. Their covenant, adopted in 1988, has thirty-six articles. Here are just snippets from a few.

“Article #3 — Hamas is for Muslims who favor jihad. Article #6 — Hamas aims for every inch of Palestine. Article #13 — Hamas is opposed to initiatives, peaceful solutions, and international conferences. Jihad is the only solution.”

And they go on to name the Jews in that covenant as the enemy and the cause of the French Revolution, Communist Revolution, World War I, World War II. My Jewish friends, you did not know you had that much power, did you? But according to Hamas’s charter, you’ve started all those, and they list many more. The Jewish people, according to Hamas, are the source of all evil. And so, they state their very clear goal is to eliminate Israel from the river to the sea and establish a state of Islam.

Now, many educated Americans believe that Israel, and secondarily the United States, are responsible for Hamas. They claim if there was no Zionism, there would be no terrorism. But they’re not listening to Hamas or Hezbollah. For example, the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, loves Zionism. He excitedly explains, “If Jews all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.” That does not sound like a border dispute.

Now, every Christian, every true Christian, knows that this kind of anti-Semitism is wrong. But we still might be confused as to, well, then how should we with our various backgrounds think about Israel? The largest section in the Bible that deals with this in the New Testament — Christians’ view of Israel — is in Romans 9-11, specifically 11. So, in a matter of a few minutes, brace yourself; we’re going to summarize Romans 11 and hopefully answer that question — How should we view Israel?

Number One, God is not rejecting his people. Israel. That’s Paul’s main point at the beginning. “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means!” And then he gives us four kinds of evidence.

Number 1, personal experience —

“For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham.”

Number 2, theological evidence —

“God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” He chose. He will not unchoose.

Number 3, historical example —

“Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah?”

And he’s referring here to 1 Kings 19, when Elijah felt alone. There were no Jews standing with him. And God reminded him, I have thousands of prophets who have not about the need to Baal. Romans 11:5,

“So too at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.”

And then number 4 — He gives a scriptural explanation —

“As it is written,”

verse 7, and he gives three groups here. If you look at this circle, first National Israel. Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking as a nation. The righteousness of God they did not obtain. Number 2 (second), the elect have obtained it (group number 2, the elect). Number 3 (third), the rest were hardened. In other words, God let hard hearts have what they want. God is not rejecting his people, Israel.

Number Two, God is bringing about much good through Israel’s bad. Israel’s rejection of their Messiah is not for permanent destruction but for our reconciliation. Look at verse 15.

“For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?”

And to communicate this, Paul gives two illustrations. One is dough, and the other is roots. Both illustrations communicate the same thing — The part affects the whole.

Let’s look at the root one. Two kinds of olive trees are described here. A cultivated olive tree that bears fruit represented the Jews, a wild olive tree that does not bear fruit representing the Gentiles. And if you look at this image, you can see the Jews represent the branches, the people of God; the roots seem to be the patriarchs and promises. Notice unbelieving Jews, Paul explains, are branches that are broken off; believing Gentiles are branches that are grafted in.

Two big things we must notice here from this illustration. Number 1 — there is only one tree. There’s one plan of redemption, one people of God, and 2 — there is no idea of permanent replacement. Hold that thought. Right in the middle of the illustration, Paul turns to the Gentiles. Number 3 — God is warning Gentiles not to be presumptuous. Verse 18,

“Do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember, it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.”

In other words, we need to be clear. There’s no room for anti-Semitism for Christians. It is unchristian. Secondly, there’s no place for presumption. Verse 22, note

“the kindness and the severity of God.”

Number 4 — God is promising to restore Israel. Verse 24, Believing Jews are the natural branches being “grafted back into” their own olive tree. Verse 25,

“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers.”

So, he’s talking to Gentiles who might get cocky, thinking “they’re out, we’re in, we don’t care about them.” “A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way, all Israel will be saved.”

Now, there’s where the debate is. What does that mean? It could mean all elect Israel — Christian believers, Jewish believers. The reason I struggle with that interpretation here is he’s already made that point back in verse 7, and it seems to break up the flow. If you follow the pronouns down to verse 28, it won’t make any sense, the “they.” So, the other possibility, although Christians differ on this — Israel as a whole will be saved. What does that mean? Not every Israelite, but Paul seems, in my opinion, to be pointing toward a day when there will be a large revival, restoration of ethnic Israelites to their Messiah Yeshua.

Number 5 — God is calling all Christians today to have a multifaceted relationship with Israel, a varied, multifaceted relationship. Look at the way Paul, who is Jewish, explains this. Verse 28,

“As regards the gospel, they (ethnic Israel) are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Do you see what I mean, “multifaceted”? He’s asking us to do a couple of things at the same time — one, regarding the gospel, they’re enemies; two, regarding election, they’re beloved.

Last year, some of us, some of you here were in Jerusalem, and several evenings we went to a gathering, a large gathering, hundreds of Orthodox Jews, in the evening. And you could feel this tension right here. Some of the Orthodox Jews that we talked to, we were the very first Christians they had ever met. And you could feel exactly what Paul is talking about here. As regards the gospel, they are very antagonistic to Yeshua, their Messiah Jesus. But regarding the promises … I had a conversation with one of them begging him to not let me have all his promises. We, on the other side of the world, are feasting on promises that flow from Abraham through Jesus to us! We are the wild branches that get grafted in. Don’t miss out on the Messianic promises! They’re for you! He was looking at me like I was the first crazy Christian he had ever met. I made sure he knew there were a lot of us crazy Christians.

So, you’ve got to feel that tension because otherwise there’re so many implications that you won’t be able to interpret things that are happening now. You will gloss over wrong things national Israel does, or you will villainize. Paul says you have to be able to have a multifaceted relationship with Israel today.

Number 6 — God is working his plan in mysterious ways. So, Paul ends this discussion of our relationship with Israel with this avalanche of awe. Your brain is not going to contain all that God is doing. And he gives us three sets of three to communicate this. First of all, his ways are deep, unsearchable, inscrutable. (Inscrutable just simply means past finding out, like trying to track footprints through the ocean.) Secondly, his plans are beyond comprehension, above counselors (he doesn’t need anybody counseling him), without creditors (he doesn’t owe anyone anything; he’s not in debt). Therefore –this is the climax —

“All things are from him, through him, to him.”

He is the source, the means, and the end. “To him be glory forever.” Brothers and sisters, when we wrestle with this question, if we end up anywhere else but here, we’re probably not thinking rightly about this issue. We just need to let that sink in. We think we have all the answers, and my chart will show you exactly what’s going to happen, and I know exactly what God is going to do here, here, here, here. You’re probably missing. Paul, inspired by the Spirit, ends his discussion, How Do We Think about Israel, stunned, in awe of God.

So, so much we don’t know. What do we know? Number 1, and how do we respond? Can we agree that terrorism is wrong, and governments need to protect their people? And the reason I think we need to pause and let this sink in is I hear Christians even say things like, well, you know, I don’t totally agree with what happened on October 7th, but if you mistreat people, they’re going to terrorize. If you’re saying or thinking things like that, you’ve lost your moral bearings. If you mistreat me, then I’m going to rape your wife and kill your kids. Is that what you’re saying? Does that make any sense to you? Terrorism is always wrong. And God calls governments to crush people who act that way. Look at Romans 13:3.

“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good.”

This is Paul talking about a pagan Roman government.

“But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”

Bad men need to know God has given governments to track them down when they prey upon civilians. That shouldn’t be controversial. It is today.

Now, having said that, that does not negate the fact that Christians are going to be deeply concerned about the horrific casualties in Gaza right now. Can we do two things at once? If we don’t think a government has the responsibility to protect its people, we’ve lost our minds. If we don’t weep with and pray for children, Christians … There’s a tiny pocket of a couple hundred Christians left in Gaza. When they are suffering, we’ve lost our hearts. We can think and weep together. And I am just begging God to somehow find a creative way to eliminate Hamas without decimating a population. Number 1 — Terrorism is wrong.

Number 2 — Israel has broken covenant with God and forfeited the blessings God has provided. When God called Abram in Genesis 12, he promised him the land. Genesis 15:18,

“On that day [he’s in Canaan here] the Lord made a covenant [literally cut a covenant] with Abram saying, ‘To your offspring I give this land.’”

And later, God made clear that when they break covenant, they will be scattered. Look at Deuteronomy 30:1.

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I’ve set before you, and you call to mind among the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God …”

Pause. Notice returning to the Lord precedes returning to the land.

“You and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you … And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

See the tight connection between love for God and land from God. Jesus globalized this in Matthew 5:5.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

All those who hate Israel love to chant “From the river to the sea!” Zechariah 9:10 promised when God speaks peace to the nations,

“his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

That’s where we’re heading. Ultimately, there will be no land dispute.

So, the question still remains — Is the modern state of Israel the current fulfillment of God’s covenant being restored? And I think, honestly, you have to say no, at least not yet. Who knows what God is up to? God in his providence has allowed Israel to be nationally restored as a secular democracy. But there seems to be no evidence that they have been fully or covenantally restored. Many Jewish people, if not the majority, reject him. However, more Jews are coming to Jesus now than ever before. That’s what we pray for. That is very encouraging.

Number 3 — The state of Israel has at times acted unjustly but has the right to exist like any other state. Again, we shouldn’t have to say this. But in 1949, the UN formally recognized Israel as a nation. Yet most of the members of the Arab League have made it clear that they will never, regardless of borders, recognize the Israeli state. They will, they say, allow Jews to live on their land. But if you look at what has happened to Jews in all the surrounding countries, we know what that means.

Number 4 — The Palestinians have suffered greatly. Their leaders at times seem far more interested in destroying Israel than in building a Palestinian state. How do we know this? They’ve rejected two-state solutions over and over again. And secondly, they seem to be counting on the fact that Israel will not exist soon. Let me give you an example. Last spring … So, this is before the terrorist attack … Israel was celebrating its 75th anniversary as a nation, and Palestinians were surveyed in the West Bank, in Gaza, “Do you believe the state of Israel will live to see its 100th anniversary?” Only twenty-seven per cent of Palestinians said yes. So, that means that almost three out of four Palestinians believe that Israel as a nation will end soon, will be eliminated.

Now, the reason that’s important is when you have a neighbor you believe is going to be eliminated, you relate to that neighbor differently than if you think you’re going to have to live with that neighbor, right? That changes the way you interact. So, this kind of “eliminate Israel as a nation” mindset is communicated from the leaders to the people, which keeps taking any kind of work together off the table. This is one of the reasons my prayer for the Palestinians is for good leadership. In Gaza, for example, why would you vote for Hamas, a terrorist organization? Well, if you have a corrupt group of leaders, they may seem better. And that’s what they’ve gone from — corruption, funneling billions of foreign aid to themselves, to corruption, funneling billions of foreign aid to terrorism. Oh, for good leaders! This is my prayer. 1 Timothy 2:1,

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

Number 5 — This is the big one. Israelis and Palestinians need Jesus. Eyad El-Sarraj was a Palestinian psychiatrist who lived and worked in the Gaza Strip. He explained that

“I was brought up to hate Jews. Jews, I was told, had robbed me of my home in Beir-Sheva and forced my people out of Palestine. Jews were monstrous killers. I lived dreading the day when I would meet my first Jew.”

He described that first meeting, was kind of surprised by the fact that the person he met seemed more afraid of him than he was of the Jewish person. But then he met his second Jew.

“It was 1971, when I finished my medical degree in Alexandria and was driven by a Red Cross bus across the Suez Canal to serve in Gaza. The Israelis had then occupied Gaza again…. I was sitting in the front seat of the bus facing an Israeli soldier and his gun. I was angry and frightened. It must have shown on my face, because suddenly the young Israeli soldier looked at me with a reassuring smile and said, ‘Have you been away from your family for long?’ ‘Yes,’ I said shocked. He then said, ‘I hope you will find them all safe and in good health.’ I will never forget his face. I think that I decided then that Jews are humans as we are and that I would never be able to kill. Living and working in Gaza under Israeli military occupation for the past thirty years [this is before Israel pulled out] has been a rich but painful experience… I was interrogated many times … but I met many wonderful Israelis, and some became my friends. I learned much from them.”

He went on to describe how he believes “both peoples are trapped.”

“Israelis who appear as the masters are in fact victims of a history of pain, suffering, persecution, and ghettos. They are surrounded by an ocean of hatred as Arabs could not accept defeat, and their rhetoric was fierce. Palestinians are hurt. They felt betrayed by the Arab regimes and unjustly treated by the Western world. Their anger turned into cycles of defiance and rage. And now they fire bullets of despair on a suicidal path. For any peace process to succeed, people need to be liberated. Palestinians and Israelis have yet to realize that they are interdependent.”

Isn’t that stunning? A Muslim living in Gaza, under occupation at that time — “We need to be liberated.” They need to be liberated. Ultimately, brothers and sisters, it’s not about the land. Land can never set a heart free from bondage to anger, hatred, bitterness, and fear. And in cultures … And this is hard for us to understand because our culture, even though we’ve rejected so much of Christianity, our culture has been affected by Christianity, so much so that we as a people, atheist or Christian, it doesn’t matter, generally value forgiveness. It’s viewed as a good thing. In that culture, it’s viewed as a bad thing. It’s weakness. Memory is valued. Revenge is valued. We need Jesus to transform hearts.

This is what Paul was getting at. He knew that hatred. He knew that. He killed Christians for a living before Jesus revealed himself to him. And he wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit in Ephesians 2:13,

“But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our shalom, our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and he might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near [Gentiles and Jews]. For through him, we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

That is what we’re praying for. And our church, our little church here in Greenville on the other side of the world, is a micro picture of that because right now I’m looking at people from Egypt, Jewish believers, with people from Palestine, whose lineage goes back to Palestine, Lebanon, all the countries around, Syria, who have come to know Christ and love one another despite the history of pain, hurt, and hostility. And so, in a few moments, as we gather around this micro meal, it is more than just a mini meal. It represents people gathering together in hospitality around the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, who otherwise would have nothing to do with each other. That’s what Jesus does. And if you know Jesus, we invite you to participate. So, in a few minutes, we’ll pass around a little piece of broken bread and a cup representing his broken body and shed blood. Let’s eat with thanksgiving.

Father, we’ve just flown through hundreds and hundreds of years — so much pain, so much hurt, injustice, attempts at reconciliation. And it can leave us feeling hopeless. We are running to you, Jesus. Please reveal yourself. Wash away bitterness and blindness and revenge, and open blind eyes, soften hard hearts. Thank you that your gift of forgiveness is not something we could ever earn but is given as gift. And because we receive it as gift, we can pass it on to people we don’t think deserve it. Lord, may we, first of all, be filled with gratitude for what you’ve done for us, and then secondly, pray for and pursue this kind of peace for all. We pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.