Devotional from Pastor Dave October 11, 2023

This past weekend, the world witnessed the devastating attacks of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas upon Israeli cities, towns, and villages that so far have left over 1200 dead in Israel, 900 dead in Gaza, and many others taken hostage, wounded, under siege, and traumatized and fearful for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. 

My heart breaks for all the people of this special place, this holy land, and especially for all the innocent people—young and old, men and women, Israeli and Palestinian—who were just trying to live their daily lives of home, school, work, and faith when what was to have been a Sabbath day of rest became a panicked day of unrest.

Tracy and I had the opportunity to visit Israel in the spring of 2014. I remember seeing the Israeli soldiers securing the streets and checkpoints, and observing several Orthodox Jewish men and women walking through the Old City and praying in their separate sections at the Western (so-called “Wailing”) Wall. I also remember crossing through the concrete dividing wall into the occupied West Bank where Bethlehem is located and meeting the Palestinian Christian brothers who fashion beautiful crosses and nativity scenes and busts of Jesus out of olive wood. I’ve been thinking about these folks as I’ve been watching the news. I wonder if they are safe. I wonder if the shop where Tracy bought all those gifts and souvenirs is still there. I’m so sad that the trip that several of our church members were to have taken there later this month now has to be postponed. I hope they will someday get to see some of the places I saw and meet some of the kinds of people we met.

In the face of such terror and violence, what can we possibly do? Well, for one, we can pray. We can follow the command of the psalmist and “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” that there be peace within its walls and security within its towers (Psalm 122:6-7). We can pray that all who love Jerusalem—and I would say that “all” includes Jews, Christians, Muslims, and more—may prosper there (v. 6). For the sake of our relatives and friends, for the sake of the house of the Lord our God, we can pray (v.8-9).

It may not seem like a lot, but I do believe the prayers of the faithful for peace—a peace that is not simply the absence of violence but a peace that is the presence of the goodness and wholeness and wellness that is what the Hebrew word for peace shalom intends—can make a difference, in our hearts as well as in the hearts of others.

And we can pray for the vision of the ancient prophets to become a reality. From nearly 2800 years ago, both Isaiah and Micah offer essentially the same vision:

In days to come

the mountain of the Lord’s house 

shall be established as the highest of the mountains, 

and shall be raised up above the hills.

People shall stream to it,

and many nations shall come and say:

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.’

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between many peoples,

and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;

they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more;

but they shall all sit under their own vines 

and under their own fig trees,

and no one shall make them afraid…” (Micah 4:1-4)

May it be so, O Lord. May it be so.