The war in Israel and Lebanon rages on with destruction and loss of innocent lives on both sides.
Many Christian leaders have decided to remain neutral between Hezbollah and Hamas on the one side and Israel on the other. As Christians, however, we are obliged to be both compassionate, and at the same time to pursue righteousness. Compassion demands that we care for the suffering of our fellow human beings, but righteousness demands that we reject neutrality. We cannot expect the blessings of God while being neutral.
There is no moral equivalence between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel is a democratic state attempting to provide peace and security to Jews, Christians, Muslims and all people who live freely within its borders. Hezbollah and Hamas, on the other hand, are terrorist groups committed to the destruction of Israel and the elimination of Jewish life in the Middle-East. When innocent people die as a result of Israeli military acts, its people grieve but when innocent civilians die at the hands of Hezbollah and Hamas, supporters and sympathizers of these organizations rejoice, because that is precisely what they set out to do – murder innocent civilians. It is unconscionable to equate the government and people of Israel with these evil terrorists.
Who can forget the spectacle of two captured Israeli solders being murdered by a wild mob on worldwide television just a few short years ago while onlookers cheered? Who can forget the images of the murderers dipping their hands in these young men’s blood, smearing it on themselves as some sort of a perverted badge of honour?
Today the world expresses its dismay as Hezbollah rains terror down upon Israel with thousands of sophisticated rockets and missiles – all aimed at innocent civilians – but we should recall that these missiles have been falling on Israel for more than 5 years now, albeit with less frequency. Such actions are evil and we can never side with evil.
Tens of millions of Christians remained neutral in the 1930s and early 1940s when evil was on the march in Germany. They remained steadfastly neutral when the Nazis marched into Austria, and then Czechoslovakia, breaking solemn treaties and agreements along they way. Many called for continued neutrality when the Nazis invaded and conquered Poland and remained neutral even while the Nazis exterminated 6 million Jews. Speaking as a guest at the ceremony commemorating the establishment of the German Peace Corps in 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy quoted a passage from Dante’s Inferno: “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a period of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality”.
Every page of the Bible teaches us to not appease evil, but to stand against it with the power of God. Jesus says in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Ephesians 6: 11-12 says “Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We must not remain neutral in the face of the wickedness of terrorism. It is, moreover, hypocritical to pray to the God of Israel and then turn a blind eye to unprovoked attacks on Israel.
God says in Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless thee (Israel) and curse those who curse thee”. Every nation that has cursed Israel has met destruction. The Pharaohs enslaved Israel and we no longer have Pharaohs. The Roman Empire brutally dispersed the Jews and hated them. The Roman Empire is no more. The Nazis tortured the Jews and killed millions of them. Shortly thereafter the Nazis were destroyed. Nations like the United States and Britain have received the blessings of God as a result of pro-Israel actions. It is very clear from Scripture and history that if we want to prosper and receive the God of Israel’s blessings then we need to bless Israel.
Israel has given us everything we have. Every word of the Bible was written by Israelites. The prophets, priests and kings were all Israelites. Even Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Mathew, Mark, John, Peter, Paul and most of the disciples and apostles were Israelites. We have a relationship with Jesus Christ because of the gifts given to us by Israel.
Yes, innocent people are suffering, but among those innocent people who are suffering are over 700,000 Israeli’s who are living in bomb shelters, and more than 250,000 who have been forced from their homes as refugees. They deserve compassion too.
The perpetrators of evil, on the other hand – those countries like Iran and Syria whose leaders threaten to “wipe Israel off the map”, and their terrorist proxies who ensure that every Israeli citizen lives with the terror of being killed or maimed by indiscriminate rocket attacks and suicide bombings – these are wicked people who have earned our disdain and righteous wrath.
The time has come for true Christians to throw off the threadbare garments of false neutrality and to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish friends in their hour of need. Each of us must find a way to actively support Israel, for “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). True Faith requires us to pray for Israel, but it also demands that we support Israel with tangible action. Speak out. Organize or attend rallies. Call your Member of Parliament and Prime Minister. God will surely keep His Word and bless us “exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think”.
- Christians cannot remain neutral - Tuesday August 1, 2006 at 3:40 pm
