2nd Opinion: Who will seek Middle East peace?

Posted: 11/10/06

2nd Opinion:
Who will seek Middle East peace?

By Denton Lotz

Every day, the church is confronted with great ethical issues involving war and peace, corruption and justice, issues of both personal and social consequences. The waiting world, in the form of the secular media, wants answers from Christians: “Whose side are you on? Where do you stand?” Unfortunately, the church and world are so polarized that often we do not speak with one voice. This has always been the case with humanity, from Cain and Abel disagreeing until today.

During the days of the Vietnam War, there were great ethical controversies confronting the church. Paul Ramsey, professor of ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary, wrote a book titled Who Speaks for the Church? He questioned whether the liberal voice was truly speaking for the church.

Today, there are those who ask whether the conservative voice is really speaking for the church. The war between Israel and Hezbollah has again forced Christians to give an answer. And many different answers have been given.

There are those Christians who defend Israel and agree with the Israel Embassy director of public affairs in London, Dan Shaham, who states: “This conflict has been forced on us by Hezbollah and its supporters who seek to destroy the Jewish State. … Israel believes that without taking decisive action against this threat in the present, no significant change will occur, and we would reach a worse crisis in the future.”

On the other hand, there are those such as the evangelical Anglican, Michael Green, who wrote a significant editorial in which he expressed dismay at the inability of Western governments to distinguish between a proportionate response and an irresponsible destruction of the infrastructure of a democratic nation, 40 percent of whom are Christian.

Green said, “As Christians, we should not be ‘pro-Jew’ or ‘pro-Arab,’ but even-handed in expressing any judgments we make in this most difficult and complicated situation, where both sides are guilty of atrocities. Should we not ask ourselves not ‘What is my nation’s policy?’ but ‘What is God’s perspective on this?’”

But isn’t that the problem? What is God’s perspective? How does the church make ethical decisions? The dean of the Arab Baptist Seminary in Beirut, Martin Accad, wrote as a Baptist Christian of his anger toward the international community “that is keeping silent and not even budging with an official condemnation of this senseless instinct for extermination.” But his harshest critique is for those who think they know more than others what the Bible is telling us. “I think that some pseudo-biblically motivated Christians with decision power, who believe ‘apocalyptic destruction is a precursor to global salvation’ are presently working toward provoking a Middle Eastern conflict of significance in order finally to settle accounts with Hezbollah and Hamas.”

As Christians, we are called upon by the Prince of Peace, even our Lord Jesus Christ, to be peacemakers. We must condemn unjust attacks wherever they occur and by whomever they are committed. We must defend the rights of the impoverished and powerless. How do we do that? Certainly not by taking sides and identifying the Christian message of peace with only one side! Both Hezbollah and Israel are wrong when atrocities occur. Both share the sin of uncontrolled power.

Each society involved in the conflict must debate these issues. Indeed, within Israel, there is now a fierce debate between the military and security service leaders. Former Israel military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon wrote: “We won’t get to the bottom of the barrel by killing terrorists. We’ll get there through education. (The former internal security head) thinks we’ll kill, kill, kill, kill, kill. That’s it—we’ve won. I don’t accept that. You need strength to defend Israel, and on the other hand, to be a human.” Such critical thinking is necessary for ethical decisions. I have not read of Hamas or Hezbollah going through such critical thinking, but they too must, or this senseless killing will go on and on.

Christians need to be involved in bringing peace and justice to the world. Now is the time for compassion and mercy! Now is the time for an end to war! Jesus said, “You have heard it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’…. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for them who persecute you” (Matthew 5:38f). It is, of course, easier to read this than to do it. But the command of our Lord is indeed a call to prayer, humility and action in the face of death, arrogance and pride. Let us pray and work for peace in the Middle East.

“O Lord Jesus Christ, be thou our peace and give us the courage to be peacemakers.”

Denton Lotz is general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance.