Thoughts On What's Going On In the Middle East

In Israel, I met a lot of young adults who were politically informed. One such friend who was only seventeen wrote a lengthy, easy-to-understand synopsis of the situation in Israel from her perspective, complete with research and historical back-story on her blog. I have to say, I was impressed. This is in direct contrast to my American counterparts who have no interest in politics whatsoever. When I came home and talked to some of my college peers about my summer, I got a lot of, "Oh, yeah, how are you? I read your posts on Facebook about bombs and missiles and sirens or something. Where were you again?" And when I mentioned the Iron Dome, they were clueless, and furthermore, when I mentioned that Hamas has been streaming rockets into Israel constantly in the last few months, they were shocked with no comments to add. Everything I said about the situation seemed to be new information to them.

[To be fair, out of concern for me, some of my friends decided to study and research and become experts on the situation in the Middle East when I started to post about the sirens.]

I don't know why this ignorance surprised me. Just four months ago I was just as ignorant. I had no clue what was going on in the world. A few years ago, during a random conversation with a business man, he said to me, "You don't have a political bone in your body, do you?" I felt I had no right to have an opinion about politics since I knew so little. I still feel inadequate to share my perspective, but I also feel compelled to bring things to light. The compulsion is stronger than my feelings of inadequacy, so I will press on...

Click HERE to watch the video. Start at 13:30

This video is a presentation made by Chris Mitchell of CBN at King of Kings community in Jerusalem, Israel. It consists of a montage of different news stories that paint a fuller picture of the situation in Iraq. He also opens it up for Q & A at the end.

I met this man this past summer and was impacted by his energy and excitement about life. I asked him what it was about his job that he liked the most. A smile came over his face as he described the fulfillment he gained from keeping people informed about what's happening in the Middle East. He said that this is his way of sharing with people how to pray concerning these situations even though he doesn't directly say, "pray for these things."

There was a news clip in Mitchell's above montage (35:20) in which Senator Ron Johnson claims that what is happening now is a result of Obama pulling the troops out of Iraq. I have wondered that very thing myself, but was never bold enough to actually cast blame. Is this war the fault of American involvement? What if the troops had never been sent there in the first place? Would this still have happened? How much did the US presence in Iraq affect what is going on now?

With that in mind, why in the world were they sent there anyway?

Was ISIS a pre-existing monster in hibernation?

Perhaps the United States' involvement merely delayed the inevitable. Or perhaps it caused frustration which spurred Muslim radical thinking, leading to the development of ISIS. I choose my words carefully when I say "spurred" because ultimately no one can cast blame on the US (unless of course Bush or Obama knew something we all didn't). The people of ISIS must be held responsible for their own actions.

Interestingly enough I saw this recent news clip about Obama. He is making a fool out of himself when he denies that it was his idea to pull troops out of Iraq. It was one of his big promises during his campaign: to "end the war" in Iraq.  Either he was taking credit for other peoples' decisions in congress, or he now doesn't want to own up to his own ideas. Certainly the idea didn't originate with him--families were aching for their sons and daughters to come home from Iraq the minute they were deployed--but he was the leader and catalyst for making it come about. What kind of leader denies his actions when they are clearly documented?! Does he think we are stupid?



If he's not insulting Americans nationwide, he is at least making himself seem stupid. But I don't believe he is. I think he is playing stupid. For what reason, I don't know.

So the ISIS crisis (hey, that rhymes!) is happening right next door to Israel.  And Israel has been clearly declared one of ISIS's next targets (along with the United States). Some even believe that ISIS is helping Hamas.

This CNN report below focuses on Netanyahu, making him seem rude, and paints the picture that the US and Israel are still on good terms, even implying that Netanyahu is walking on thin ice concerning his relationship with Obama. Yes, the US still officially supports Israel. But I heard many statements by various people while I was in Jerusalem that they believe the relationship is waning... Whatever the official stance is, Israeli's don't believe it. They have a different perspective.



Note the slant here. CNN is one news station with an agenda. I hope that your idea of the situation doesn't only come from one source. American media often makes Israel look like the bad guys. What they report is often true, but it's easy to make the truth look like something it's not. It's all in the presentation of it. They've said nothing about Hamas and the brutalities they've committed to their own people, using them as shields against Israel's military reactions. CNN calls it "Israel's offensive" but in reality it is a move in response to the hundreds and hundreds of missiles that are being fired into Israel from Gaza constantly. [For some comedic relief, here's a funny video that basically illustrates how every Israeli suffers from PTSD from the constant rain of missiles and sounding of sirens!]. Israel may not have done everything perfect, but they do have a right to take action against Hamas. CNN fails to explain that (for more explanation, read my friend's blog mentioned above).

If you are truly "Pro-Palestinian", you can't be in favor of Hamas. They are oppressive to Palestinians. While there may be racism in Israel, Palestinians are not oppressed by Israelis (well, they weren't until the war. Then far right Jews became violent and started rioting, but that is only one group of radicals. The rest of them are peacefully co-existing). I met several Palestinians living peacefully in Jerusalem.

One Israeli man told Dustin, "He is American, but his heart is Muslim!" He was referring to Obama.

The idea we got while we were there was that the people of Israel are no longer looking to the US as an ally. Netanyahu obviously appreciates the support that is currently being given, but the feeling of the people is that all of their allies in the world are turning their backs on them. It is a heavy feeling that they carry with them. They have been a hated people for generations. I sensed a very, "it's us against the world," mindset. It is a sad one indeed.

Right now, Israelis love Canada because of the emotional support and encouragement offered to Netanyahu by its prime minister Stephen Harper. I banked on the fact that I am a Canadian when it served my purposes (haha). A French-Jewish couple who lived down the hall greeted Dustin and me as we entered the elevator. Their demeanor changed from stand-off-ish to warm and genuine upon learning that I am Canadian.

So what is my point in writing all this? Partly to get some things off of my chest; mostly it is to tell people that things are not always as they seem. Even though I have presented my thoughts here, I acknowledge that my perspective is incomplete and biased. It is largely based on my experience. There are things at work behind the scenes that perhaps none of us will know about. Don't blindly trust everything you hear on the news. If you want to be informed enough to have a right to an opinion, get your news from a variety of sources, and from other countries. And make sure your sources are at least reputable. Or, go there yourself. See first hand what is going on in the world.

The real threat to the world is ISIS. It seems like the world (particularly the US) was so focused on Israel that they weren't seeing the atrocities that were happening right next door; atrocities that are far more relevant to them. We cannot let ISIS take over the Middle East, and we cannot let them take over Israel. Israel has one of the most advanced militaries in the world. That advance in the hands of ISIS means danger to us. They have clearly declared the US as a target. They might already have infiltrated many US cities (see this article).

Let the Holy Spirit guide you in these matters. Don't take them in and simply give in to discouragement. But don't ignore them either. God is with us. He has a purpose for us. If we have the means to do something about it, we should.

A New Perspective

       "There is wisdom in reducing your schedule to make it easier on yourself."
       "Well," I explained, "the funny thing is that the past two years I could barely handle fourteen [college] credit hours per semester. Everything scheduled was a dread. It was really difficult for me to do anything. It's because of what I went through before. My life revolved around the schedule, so after that I couldn't even think about plans. I mean, you probably saw some of my frustration when I talked to you last year. Every prospect was just misery..." He laughed at my dramatic words, "But now, after having been in Israel, it's different. I feel like I can handle more this year, and I'm excited even. And there's no dread or stress at all. It's strange."
       He shook his head and gave me a knowing glance, chuckling to himself as he responded, "You know, someone should do a study on the psychological effects that ministry can have on a person. That would be interesting."
      "Yeah."
      "I think it's something about feeling like all your time is owned by someone else. I've definitely been there. Even the small things feel like huge burdens. When I was going through it, my wife would say something like, 'oh there's this wedding we've been invited to...' and even just that would make me think to myself, 'oh no'."
      "I know! And then you feel selfish for not giving your time for small things, but you just can't function any other way."
       "Exactly... You just can't."

       This was a conversation between my adviser and me earlier today. It felt good to talk to someone who really understands what I went through. It was validating. We helped each other put into words things not often articulated. The sad thing is that your typical twenty-seven-year-old hasn't felt the pain of ministry burn-out yet. But I have. And my adviser is probably in his early fifties. I honestly relate better to my teachers than I do to my fellow students. Most of the students here are all fresh out of high school ministries, ready to take on the world, willing to do whatever it takes... when I left his office and went to practice piano, I couldn't focus. I only thought about our conversation and how well he related to me. I think he was even shocked at how similarly we had both felt from our experiences.
       My vocal teacher was hurt by a church as well. She wasn't overworked, but she was wounded in a way that took years to recover. Her and her husband ran a very successful passion play for many years until one day she saw people moving all the props out of the prop house. The pastor had shut down the drama department without even telling her. We bonded over our stories of pain. I spent many times in her office crying because I was such an emotional mess. It was singing. That was one of the main ways I served my church. Music is the language of my heart. So when she would try to get me to actually connect emotionally with the music, I would feel this swell of hurt rising up. Most of the time I could fight it, but on occasion I just couldn't and I would burst into tears. She was just the perfect person to help me through it.

       I often feel like I'm an outsider; like because of what I went through, I see things others just don't see. It has been frustrating. I feel old inside, already tired of life. But then I come here to a place where many of my teachers are former pastors and ministers who have been through it all. They see things the way I do. It helps.

       I'm just glad that I have a deep well to draw from, and glad that I have a new perspective from having been away. It was exactly what I needed.

Love is Power

I believe love is stronger than hate.  It is a  slow, consistent power like the small streams that carved out the Grand Canyon.  For those of you who have seen the Canyon with your own eyes, you know the sheer magnitude of it--the bone-chilling depth of it.

Compare it to a famous volcano eruption.  While it was powerful enough to change an entire ecosystem in a matter of days, the result of it was devastation.  The display was no doubt magnificent--quick and efficient--but it caused much death and destruction that can only be healed over time.  The Grand Canyon was carved slowly, allowing time for the land to adjust, and the result was a rich and thriving ecosystem full of beauty beyond description.

That's the difference between love and hate.  With hate or anger, pressure builds up under the surface, not accomplishing anything until the build-up becomes so strong that it needs release.  And while its expression is powerful and feels gratifying, it is short-lived, and destructive, the damage is often irreparable, and the one who expresses it is left with an even larger gaping hole than before, never truly satiated.  With love, there is always peace even though change is happening.  The moments seem powerless as they happen--a smile, a friendly greeting, a hug--but over time these things change a person.  They break down hard rock and smooth out sharp edges.  Those small things are the real power.  They are the strongest power.  They break down anger and hurt and strengthen weak mindsets.  They soften the hardest hearts, changing an angry response to a friendly one.  Love chases away fear.

Never underestimate the power of a smile or a word of encouragement.  Never underestimate the effect of a heart understood by a friend.  The judgment-free acceptance of another human being alters a life for the better.  Love is the cool, refreshing stream in a dry place.  It seems pitiful, vulnerable, even weak, but it is a great power that brings life if you remain consistent.

When you look at a person, what do you see?  The cuts on her arm?  The scowl on his face?  The piercings and tattoos?  His sexual preference?  Her daddy issues?  His drug problem?  Her mini-skirt?  Or do you see a person?

Hateful, fearful, and angry people are merely dry soil full of seeds that have the potential for great beauty.  They are people who are the most thirsty.

Be that love in someone else's life.  And if you find yourself a little dry, there's no better place to find love than in Christ Himself.

"...whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14 NIV)