The new war in the Middle East...

Jim Rice is editor of Sojourners magazine and he has written an essay entitled "The new war in the Middle East" in which he asks - What is the proper, appropriate response of a nation to violent attacks by terrorists or other radical extremists?

He makes some interesting observations and calls us to:-

"ask for a sense of how I and all humanity, am implicated in a disorder larger than ourselves and how I, consciously, or unconsciously, participate and contribute to that disorder"

  • Be consistent in denouncing the violence of both sides - especially when it is deliberately aimed at civilians (or targets where great civilian "collateral damage" will be the result).
  • Pray for the emergence of new political leadership on both sides - both of which seem bereft of creative, courageous, moral, or even pragmatic leadership.
  • Challenge any religious voices that seem utterly one-sided, completely neglecting the suffering and legitimate grievances of both sides.
  • Pray for new ways for Christians and our churches to join our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters in finding real and practical solutions for a just peace in the Middle East where two states can live with security and democracy.
  • And pray for better solutions than endless war to solve the real threats of terrorism in our world, because if we fail, all of our children will be at risk.
I wonder if it has to go further than that.

I'm working through Finding God in the Dark Taking the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius to the Movies The first exercise looking at disorder encourages us to "ask for a sense of how I and all humanity, am implicated in a disorder larger than ourselves and how I, consciously, or unconsciously, participate and contribute to that disorder"

I wonder how many people I have bombed verbally recently, and I see the obvious and feel discomfort. I have yet to move onto any understanding of unconscious contributions but know that my discomfort deepens.

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