Which Side Are We On?

In the past few weeks, I have been bombarded with images I wish I could erase from my mind. When I turn on my television or computer, or look at the newspaper, vile, upsetting images are placed in front of my eyes without warning.

After being fed up with the savagery taking place across the world and making its way onto my screen, I turned my eyes to heaven and begged for answers. “Why, God, do I need to see grotesque pictures from the massacres in Syria, beheadings in Iraq, and mass graves across the Middle East? Why must I see a man hung from a bulldozer in Gaza by Hamas terrorists after he was accused of spying for Israel? These images are heartbreaking and difficult to see. What, Father in Heaven, is the message you are trying to show me?” The answer that God laid on my heart instilled in me a deep feeling of responsibility and faith. Why are horribly graphic images from war zones being shared through every media outlet possible? I suddenly realized that God is showing us clear examples of good and evil, and forcing us to choose what side we stand on. The lines between good and evil are no longer blurred. There are nations in the world that cherish life and those that seek death. Now is our time to declare where our values lie.

No longer can anyone say that they didn’t know what was happening. No more excuses that they did not have the facts or that they lived too far away to see. All of God’s children are responsible for one another, and God is calling us to act.

As I have seen, actions come in many different forms. I have witnessed millions of Christians come together in prayer and support during Israel’s crisis, making The Fellowship’s many lifesaving emergency projects during Operation Protective Edge possible. In the past three weeks, we have provided thousands of Israeli people with much-needed food aid. The Jewish community, too, is also supporting Israel with essential aid.

The Bible tells us, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). However one chooses to express it, now is the time for each one of us to decide which side we are on.

With prayers for shalom, and blessings,

Yael