Rev’s Mid-Week Thought

We all woke up last Saturday morning to the horrific images of the terrorist attack in Israel. Words cannot adequately express the images we saw and continue to see played out on our screens. Our hearts have been torn. We are witnessing hopelessness lived out in real-time. In the news, pundits, experts, and commentators are reflexively going to their corners of who is right, and the blame game commences. Wentz’s, you and I must dig deeper!

The moment calls for deep listening. “Ella’s Song” by the folk music group Sweet Honey in the Rock has been playing in my head for several days. The words are a prophetic witness to this moment.

“We who believe in freedom cannot rest. We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes. Until the killing of black men–Black mother’s sons is as important as the killing of a white man– White mother’s sons; we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.”

Today, I am reminded of the power of empathy and the importance of not losing sight of our humanity during times of conflict and violence. It can be easy to become desensitized to the horrors happening in Israel and Palestine, especially when we are bombarded with conflicting narratives and justifications. But this moment calls for each person to listen deeply to the spirit within us and remember that pain and suffering do not have a hierarchy. We must recognize the humanity of all involved and refuse to surrender our humanity in the face of tragedy and injustice.

Additionally, this moment challenges us to question the narrative of “us versus them,” often perpetuated in conflicts like the one being played out on our screens. While it may be tempting to view one side as inherently good and the other as inherently evil, the truth is much more complex. We must be willing to challenge our biases and recognize that both Israelis and Palestinians are human beings with families and loved ones impacted by the violence. By refusing to perpetuate a divisive mindset, we can start to grieve for all children affected by this conflict, regardless of their nationality.

Finally, I pray this mid-week thought is a reminder that amid overwhelming tragedy, it is okay to simply grieve. We do not always have to have a readily available solution or know the process to get there. What matters most is acknowledging and honoring the lives lost and the pain felt by all involved. We can find common ground and reaffirm our shared humanity by grieving for “their” children as our own. This notion urges us to reject apathy and instead choose empathy, which is a decisive step toward creating a more peaceful and just world.