There is no justification for the attacks that set off this most recent round of violence. They demonstrated a complete disregard for the humanity of the Jewish population of Israel. There is also no justification for lumping together Hamas terrorists with the entire Palestinian population of Gaza and Israel. This disregards the humanity of Palestinians. During times of war, it is common practice to dehumanize the enemy in ways that make the massive use of violence against both combatants and civilians acceptable. Yet any path toward peace depends on somehow recognizing our common humanity.
While political pundits and government officials focus on the strategies and developments of war, it is essential for people of faith to hold on to and lift up our common humanity. The Biblical foundation of humanity as made in the image of God is especially important at times such as this.
During the Viet Nam war, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. faced overwhelming criticism for speaking out against the war based on his Christian faith. The following quote is from his famous speech at Riverside Church in New York on April 4, 1967:
A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, “This way of settling differences is not just.” This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation’s homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love.
The most difficult time to assert our common humanity is during the early days of war, especially a war started by a horrific attack. Any of us who lived through the attacks of 9/11 know how true this is. My hope for this week is that we lament the violence in Israel-Palestine, honor the humanity of all the victims of that violence, and pray to God for a way forward to genuine peace.