Needing Grace in the Mideast

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men."
1 Titus 2:11

After decades of conflict in the Middle East, most have come to the conclusion that there will never be peace. Pride, arrogance, hate and revenge fuel murder and destruction. And the cycle goes on...and on...and on.

In my opinion, one of the greatest movies ever made was The Godfather. Setting aside the great acting, wonderful direction, etc., the general theme in the movie was simply - 'if you hit me, I'll hit you back harder'. You try to kill my father, I'll kill you. You kill my new wife, I'll destroy you and everyone associated with you.

And so it goes in Israel and the Middle East. The latest flare-up was sparked when Hezbollah guerrillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers. According to Hezbollah, this was done in retaliation for the thousands imprisoned in Israel, including a murderer named Samir Kuntar, who Hezbollah is asking for in a prisoner swap. In 1979, Kuntar held a family hostage in Israel, ultimately killing a father and his four-year-old daughter. I'm not sure of Kuntar's motives, but my guess in reading about the history of this conflict is that he'd say he was doing this to get even with Israel for one of their aggressive military maneuvers. And Israelis would say their actions, for example the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel took pre-emptive actions against Egypt and others, was to ensure their survival. And the cycle goes on...and on...and on.

What can stop this insane cycle of violence? Really there are two options, and only two. The first is that one side in this conflict completely destroys the other, leaving no remnants alive to exact revenge at some later date. Without a total destruction of their enemy, the victor lives in fear, knowing full well they could strike back at any time. When Solozzo failed to kill Vito Corleone, it was simply a matter of time before revenge would be enacted. The previously innocent Michael finished Solozzo off with a bullet to the head.

The other option is that both sides extend grace and forgiveness to the other. Their history is filled with violence, murder, destruction - both sides have lost incredibly. Neither can ever make the other whole. Yet, by unconditionally forgiving each other, and removing the need for yet another payback, there may be the glimmer of hope for peace in the Middle East. Naive? Maybe. But what are the options? The first option would ensure a global war, resulting in millions of deaths, untold physical destruction, and still no resolution. The second option?

In Paul's letter to the Romans, he speaks of death living in us as a result of Adam's original sin. It is only through God's grace, undeserved and unearned grace, that we have life. God's grace was given in the form of Jesus. In the Middle East, it is only grace that can bring peace. Neither side deserves it, but this may be the only chance for survival. The question is whether anyone is courageous enough to extend it to the other.