A week or two ago, I used a video clip from the tv show Ted Lasso that featured a scene in which the main character, Ted Lasso, quoted Walt Whitman by saying, “Be curious, not judgmental. If you missed it, you can watch it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x0PzUoJS-U
I bring it up again, because there is some disturbing news going on in the world today. The conflict and violence between Israel and Palestine has again bubbled over into violence, with 32 Palestinians and 3 Israelis being killed in the last couple of days. If you are unaware of what happened, here is an article from Reuters’.
I have heard about the violence between the two groups for years but never understood it. The main point I thought I knew or understood was, which is what I believe most of us know, the land they all want to occupy is extremely sacred land to the three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The more I learned about it, the less I saw it as a simple religious war and learned how complicated and multi-faceted the conflict really is. In almost everything I read or watched, if someone was trying to give an editorial or attempting to explain it, I would hear or read the words, “I know I someone is going to disagree with me about…” There does not seem to be a coherent narrative. Depending on who one listens to or talks to, different points are made and explanations are given.
The best I have found I can do is not approach this by trying to determine who is right and who is wrong, but only to learn about what is at the core of the conflict and try to understand and empathize with all that is happening. To go back to Ted Lasso, I believe I am being asked to “Be curious. Not judgmental.” (I think this is going to be my new motto in life. It sure seems to be coming up often and I have watched the above scene a good 20 times.)
If you are interested, or curious to learn more, I have two videos that I have found helpful.
The first one is from Vox. It is a 10-minute video that attempts to give a brief overview of the conflict without taking sides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRYZjOuUnlU
The second video is a tv special Rick Steves’ did for PBS as part of is travel series, “Rick Steves’ Europe.” It is 56-minutes long. Rick attempts to give an impartial overview of the conflict while humanizing it by featuring the people of Palestine and Israel and allowing them to share their feelings. I thoroughly appreciated this special because it allowed me to see the people who are affected by it and to hear their stories. I found myself empathizing with everyone involved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg1unr6eNpQ&t=2412s
In the end, I don’t have a solution and I won’t attempt to offer one. To think that I could suggest one that someone hasn’t thought of before after watching and reading about it for a few hours would be arrogant and diminish the hard work that others have poured into it. Rather, I only offer my compassion and empathy for all of those lives of people who have been caught in the middle who are only trying their best to live a life of wholeness and happiness.
A scripture verse that continually comes to mind for me during times of conflict, unrest, turmoil and war is Philippians 4:7. It reads, “May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind in Jesus Christ.”
What I like about this verse is the phrase, “…peace of God which surpasses all understanding…” I don’t know what the answer is, all I know is that it is currently beyond our understanding and perhaps we need to pray to be opened to ideas and ways of thinking that we are currently unaware of or think impossible.
I think it also opens us up to praying for the innocent people who are caught in the middle who live in constant fear. We pray for peace that is beyond their understanding and, more specifically, beyond what they are currently experiencing.
So let us pray.
Creator of all nations and people,
We put up boundaries and walls.
We keep people out and keep people in.
We trust our own sense of peace and distrust others.
Currently there is violence going on in the world that needs to end.
This is happening in Palestine and Israel and in many other places which don’t make the news.
We pray for your peace which we don’t understand.
We pray for your peace which seems beyond our grasp.
We pray for your peace to come upon those in positions of power which will bring peace to those caught in middle.
Simply, we pray for your peace in all of our lives.
Amen.