GlocalNet

Ok - so I told you I was going to give you my opinion on how to solve this - what do I have to loose - no one else has fixed it!  So here goes .  .  .  .  .  .

1.  Jesus is the only hope.  That may sound depressing, but to me it’s actually exciting.  This means no human being will get credit - only God.  From what I saw, the Jews and the Muslims are at one another’s throats and each has their coalitions.  Minorities have an unusual influence at times to bring other parties together for peace.  I believe Christians in the Holy Land could play that role. 

2.  Messianic Jews and Palestinian Evangelicals will be the ones to lead the way.  They both love Jesus and are not tied to the Christian power structures or historic churches in the Holy Land - which has become very political as well.  When a Jew and a Palestinian who have both accepted Jesus and love him live in peace because they are true brothers - what an incredible example.  I’m still moved thinking of arriving in Tel Aviv and driving straight to a Messianic congregation and hearing a Palestinian pastor preach and seeing them publicly embrace - and it was sincere and real.  Where else do you see groups of Palestinians and Jews meeting and embracing?  First, they model - that’s how they gain credibility.  Then - they work together and find a way.  These issues will be solved not by outsiders, but by insiders who find a way to live together. 

3.  People to people diplomacy is the only diplomacy that has any long term sustainability.  There is too much rhetoric and hate in “religion” these days - even among Christians.  We must as Christians never compromise our convictions as to who Jesus is.  This calls us all the more, not to isolation, and feelings of superiority but of humility, love, and engagement.  I met with Muslim leaders, Jewish leaders - all were ready to partner on projects of mutual human concern.  What NorthWood experienced in Vietnam changed us so much - it works.  If we start engaging on the human level - it will change everything. 

4.  Sects, groups, etc. will have to reign in their own extremist.  When ANYONE from someone’s “family” publicly begins to talk suicide bombing, unilateral strikes, anything of violence or injustice - their family has to publicly take them to the woodshed and not ignore it.  I must admit, some in my evangelical family here in America are out of control.  We were commanded by Jesus to be ready for his coming - not force it, not engineer it, not help God with it.  It is at God’s discretion when and how he will come and he will do it without us - if what Jesus said was really true.  We’ve let hype and sensationalism push us into trying to drive foreign policy.  I’m convinced, the day will come when Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians who have partnered for a common goal - will come to despise one another because they are both driven by values and sense of divine destiny and they are headed in different directions - it will lead to an ugly split sooner or later.  If they would partner around justice and human need - their coalition might survive - one item - it won’t. 

5.  Prayer.  Prayer changes things - I honestly believe that.  Prayer is power.  Prayer is divine and heavenly.  Prayer opens us up to new ways of thinking and acting.  Prayer is the creative communication of the omnipotent God to a very finite man.  Prayer is the link, the substance, the connection that ties us to God.  We must rediscover “Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done.” We should not give God our agendas and plans.  A congressman told me he was in a prayer meeting and literally heard an intercessor pray against the peace process!  Can you imagine the heart of God?  Can you imagine the pain that brought to the heart of Jesus - someone praying against peace?  Who is this Jesus they pray to - I don’t find him in the New Testament. 

So by now you realize I have no border solutions - none at all.  I think our behaviors have to first be on target to come to agreement - and for the time being - they’re way out of whack.  It’s time for the church to “walk the aisle” and repent.  I remember a song I used to sing in Church as a boy - “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me, see in the portals he’s waiting and watching, watching for you and for me.  Come home, come home, you who are weary come home.  Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me.”