Reconciliation in Christ المصالحة في المسيح

A blog site dedicated to showing the world the reconciliation that God offers to us and between us through the blood of Christ--the blood He shed in love for us and for all nations, to make us one with Him, and one in Him, for eternity.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Why Do the Nations Rage?

I try hard not to voice political opinions too strongly on this blog, but when it's a matter of God's glory being defamed, I have a hard time keeping silent. This is a letter I wrote to Colorado Senator Wayne Allard, in response to his "response" to my e-mail (which was, of course, simply a position paper that addressed nothing I'd said). I pray that the political and religious leadership of the United States would have the humility to forgo worldly empire in return for the peace and humility of the Kingdom of Heaven.

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Dear Senator Allard,

I doubt you'll actually read this, since nothing you said actually addressed what I wrote, but I feel it my moral duty to at least say something in response to your letter.

You say that Israel has the right to defend itself. Does Lebanon not also have the right to defend itself against Israel's brutal aggression? Nearly a thousand Lebanese civilians have died, even though it was Hezbollah, not the Lebanese government or public, that attacked Israel. Yet Lebanon has not taken this right. Why? Because they do not receive billions of dollars of military aid from the world's only superpower. They are helpless against Israel's immense US-provided firepower. We are funding a massacre.

Are Israeli lives more valuable than Lebanese? Are Jewish lives more valuable than Muslim or Christian? Then why do we aid and even support Israel's killing of hundreds of Lebanese, creating hundreds of thousands of refugees and destroying the Lebanese economy, while we deplore as "terrorism" Hezbollah's attack on Israeli military targets? When Hezbollah rains down rockets on Israeli civilians, this is terrorism. But when Israel does the same against Lebanese villages, why do we not have the courage and moral fortitude to deplore it in similar terms?

I strongly condemn Hezbollah's aggression, especially against civilian targets. I have friends in northern Israel who are under attack, and whose safety I'm praying for. I have lived in Israel, I speak Hebrew, and I love the Jewish people. But I am ashamed of my president, and ashamed of my senator, for supporting the massacre of civilians in Lebanon that have little or nothing to do with Hezbollah. What is the difference between a "terrorist" bomb and an Israeli (or US) bomb? Both kill human beings created in God's image.

Whoever is actually reading this e-mail, I want to plead with you to not let Israel destroy itself by ignoring its moral foundations, the standards of democracy and human rights and the Judaic spiritual tradition. As we Americans should heed ourselves, we also should exhort our friends in Israel to heed the teachings of a Palestinian Jew of long ago:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

This is my plea and my prayer.

Sincerely,

Seth Wilson

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Personal Account From Beirut

A friend of mine wrote this letter from Beirut, in the first week of the crisis in the Middle East. I took his name off since I haven't asked him if I can post this. (I think he got cut off at the end.) Please pray.
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Hi there dear friends,

This is the sixth day of the attack on Lebanon. Some of you might not know this but I am in Beirut at the moment, in the East at relatively safe distance from the bombing. It's getting harder for people here. Grocery prices are going up, fuel is going to run out at some point. One cell-phone company has closed, their lines are still working but phone cards are getting more expensive everyday (making communication harder). who knows where it will go from here.

Getting out of the country by means of a cabride to Syria costs 400$, a ride that 7 days ago was still the normal price of 10$. People are sitting by their television sets waiting to see what happens next. Some of my friends have fled from the bombed places. One of them lost his family house in the city, luckily they still have their country home. People don't know what to do, don't know what will happen next and don't know if and when foreign intervention will actually come.

This is not a political call for action. I am not asking that you get angry, or take sides. Our fight is not against flesh and blood. It is against the powers of darkness (Ef. 6:10-20, for exact quote). Will you please pray for the people here. That they will find out what the real war is that is going on "behind their backs". Will you pray that they come to know the true Savior, who can offer real "resistance" to darkness.Also pray for the believers that they don't lose sight of their Savior and that they know that love conquers all. Those of you who know people here and their personal situation, keep them in mind. Bless them from where you are.

And for me personally, I don't know what to do: I feel God is with me and I am encouraging people around me, praying, helping out. On the other hand, my family in Holland is worried about me and I don't want to put a strain on them. There are others like me, who don't know if they should stay and be a help or leave and wait for things to calm down. I don't want to be selfish and leave, but I also don't want
to make a wrong decision.

Others in Lebanon are in a much more difficult position than me, so I feel selfish in asking prayer for my situation. Pray

Much love,

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