Last night at Temple Oheb Shalom in Wyomissing, hundreds of people from all walks of life – different religions, different colors, different politics – gathered for a service of mourning and resolve and a plea for peace. The Temple, along with Kesher Zion and Chabad, united with the Jewish Community Center to remember, mourn, and commit themselves to the cause of justice. The speakers told stories of friends and family trapped in the chaos of this terrorist attack by Hamas. Death and destruction; reports of children being beheaded! In a conversation after, I spoke to one member of the host congregation about the Palestinian women and children who are victims of the male-dominated terror group that perpetrated this heinous crime. She agreed that they are victims too. I think most of us do.
In fact, with the exception of a few radical fake christian and muslim cults, the vast majority of people of all faiths and political parties want to see peace. Dominionist Christians, many of whom are pumping lots of cash into Israel, are doing so to get Israel back to its biblical borders so Jesus can return. They don’t care about Jews or Palestinians; they want the world to end while the rest of us are just trying to live our lives. Hamas is not a muslim group; like the evil people who attacked on 9/11, they serve no God but themselves. Their goals are evil. Hamas, and others like them, are the enemy. The rest of us just want to get along. We are better when we’re together.
I spoke with another member of Oheb Shalom as we walked out to the parking lot to light candles, an immigrant from Russia. She told me about her family; many had married non-Jews, or people of color, and her words were similar to the words I often use. “There is one God, just different ways of worshiping”. We are all in this together, she continued; why can’t other people see that? Amen, sister. Most of us agree about this, and for those who think differently – you be you. You want to think you will be the only ones going to heaven? That doesn’t matter to me – as long as you don’t act badly trying to prove it. Live your life the way you want to, just don’t hurt anyone else or make laws to give you advantages over others. We will know the truth when we get there, and I think a lot of people will be surprised by who is and isn’t there.
I am a follower of Jesus because I think He was the incarnation of God. My belief system does not diminish anyone else’s belief system. Different flavors, same nourishment. Different practices, same focus. When I sit with my Jewish and Muslim (and other) friends in their places of worship, I listen to their prayers, so remarkably similar to mine, and I feel God’s presence. Those who protest and disagree violently do so out of a place of hatred; no religion can be of God if that is the reason it exists. Jesus gave His followers a couple of commandments, the most important one being that we must love one another. Whenever love is present, so is God. You want to worship a God of hate? Do so in the privacy of your own home. Leave the rest of us out of it. We are better when we’re together. That includes you, if you choose to stop hating and start loving. It isn’t that hard to do. I hope you try it.
Prayer – Holy God, You made us all in Your image; Jews, Palestinians, Christians, Muslims, and all the rest. Convince us of this truth and heal us of our hate and anger. Amen.
Today’s art is “Unity” by Rhiannon Marhi.