2 December. Abraham in Israel. In the context of the current Israel-Hamas war some members of a faith sharing group attempted to explore underlying causes of the centuries-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The war had begun after a violent attack on Israel by the extremist Islamic group Hamas on 7 October 2023 and was followed by equally extreme retaliation by Israel government forces. The complexity of this whole situation cannot be denied and oversimplifying or taking sides mainly on political grounds, as has too often been done emotionally and simplistically all over the world, has complicated it even more. It has divided groups of nations, preventing everyone from reaching a compromise position.   

Some possibly helpful observations are made in the article referred to which recognizes that the conflict is driven by ethnic, national, historical and religious factors.  https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/religion-and-israel-palestinian-conflict-cause-conse.  The religious factor dates from the time of Abraham, the father of all three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  That story is well known. Abraham, chosen by God to be the father of many descendants, had a son with his slave woman Hagar, as his wife was childless. God intervened and Sarah also bore a son.  Hagar and her son Ishmael were banished, but became ancestors of Islam some 600 years after Christ, through the prophet Mohammed. Abraham’  descendants through Isaac formed the Jewish, and with the coming of Jesus, the Christian religion.

Peace has reigned at times, but conflict has existed frequently between these three faiths. Extremist positions on all sides, as well as political power struggles exacerbate the situation. Fundamentalist, radical and extremist labels are often used. In a world where currently political and economic power dominates, mainly in Christian west resentment has grown at times into protests and in lesser developed parts of the world into violent extremism . Interregional migration is dramatically changing the religious distribution all around the world.  

The faith sharing group discussed and debated this explanation and eventually, following the request from Pope Francis, decided that, as Christians, their response should focus on prayers for peace and an end to war.

Scripture: It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains and all the nations shall flow to it. People will say let us go up to the mountain of the Lord that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. He shall judge between the nations and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more.  Is 2:1-5,  Pope Francis: Our world has become so multipolar and at the same time so complex that a different framework for effective cooperation is required.  It is not enough to think only of balances of power but also of the need to provide a response to new problems and to react with global mechanisms to the environmental, public health, cultural and social challenges, in order to consolidate respect for the most elementary human rights, social rights and the protection of our common home.  LD 42.  War is a defeat. Always. FT258.  Reflect, share, and pray:   As we prepare for Christmas and the coming of the Prince of Peace let us redouble our efforts, fast, sacrifice and pray for our suffering brothers and sisters, especially the children.   Let us not forget the suffering of our earth either, so much destruction can only result in pollution and loss of biodiversity.