The death of any human being without the Messiah is a tragedy. The death of Palestinians or Israelis or Iraqis is equally painful for every human being is a gift from God. Every Israeli, every Palestinian, and every Iraqi is a gift from the Lord. We, as followers of Jesus, want to celebrate life, not advocate death. We are not against evildoers but against evil. We fight evil with good, not guns. In the midst of these tense times, we affirm that the bloodshed of Israelis is as painful as the bloodshed of Palestinians or Iraqis.


We refuse to compete in demonstrating who is more right or more righteous. Instead, we call the followers of Jesus to act justly and to compete in showing others mercy and love. We call believers to compete in repenting before God and in calling ourselves to bless, not to curse, to feed the hungry and not to deprive them from food, to be messengers of peace and justice, not war. The body of the Messiah is not with Palestinians against Israelis or vice versa. It is not with Christians against Muslims or Jews. It is with the Messiah against evil. It is for blessing Palestinians, Israelis, and all the nations. This is our path and here we stand. So how can we put this into practice in the midst of the current reality?

1. Pray for your enemy and bless them in your congregations. (Matt 5: 44).

2. Seek practical ways in which you can feed the hungry and the thirsty among your enemies (Rom 12: 20).

3. Pray for ALL those who are in authority so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life (1 Tim 2: 2). Pray for pastors, politicians, and all other leaders.

4. Ask the Lord to bring a revival to the Middle East. We want our nations to encounter the love and mercy of Jesus. May this revival start in the unity of the body of the Messiah!

5. Ask the Lord to stop the bloodshed of innocent civilians.

6. Ask the Lord to empower His people to be salt and light in these difficult times.

7. Pray for the followers of the Messiah to oppose the evil of their leaders when these leaders behave like Pharaoh; to inform their leaders when they behave like Darius, and to thank God when their leaders behave like Cyrus. We need leaders who serve God by promoting justice and peace and empowering the followers of Jesus.

8. Ask God to turn you into a walking and acting prayer so that we can go to Samaria and bless our Samaritan woman; so that we can stop our cars and act like the Good Samaritan who honored God.