In times of nationwide turmoil or global turbulence, my knee-jerk reaction has always been to side with the "good guys." I stand with ______ (enter the name of good guys here)! And for the longest time, I relied on my religion to help me determine WHICH were the good guys and WHICH were the bad guys. And for the most part, my religion ultimately informed my personal political persuasion and "side."

In short, I allowed my religious background and political affiliation to determine my right and wrong, my friends and my enemies – the good guys and the bad guys. So I went wherever my denomination and political party took me or directed me.

We do that.

It's easier to align with a group; to join a homogenized group and follow their lead. If I belong to group X, I do so because they think like me, pray like me, live like me, love like me, look like me, etc. And if my group X disagrees with group Y or hates group Y, I'm gonna hate group Y, too. It's a shortcut. Just group 'em together!

If Bob is a jerk (or a monster), then the shortcut (or politics or religion) is that everyone who thinks like Bob, prays like Bob, lives like Bob, loves like Bob, and looks like Bob is a jerk (or a monster), too. All Bobs. Or all Susans. All this color. All that color. All people from this slice of land. Or that slice of land.

It's less work or trouble to like or hate an entire group of people than it is to try to know an individual enough to like or hate them on their own merit. I'll just take my group's word for it.

If I read my bible correctly, I understand that this was a problem in Jesus' time, as well. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the parable about a Jewish man who was accosted, robbed and left at the side of the road. A temple priest saw that man and ignored him. A Levite son of Israel saw him and ignored him. But when a Samaritan saw the beaten man, he took pity oh him, tended to his wounds, cared for him and saw to his extended care.

Israel was group X. Samaria was group Y. They hated one another. They were reprehensible to one another. Yet, here was this "good" Samaritan. He was operating OUTSIDE the norms of his group (and denomination and politics). This was a lesson Jesus was teaching.

You see, I don't get a sense from scripture that we're to treat people according to their group or their nationality or their sin or even their worthiness. We're to treat them, not as a member of a group, but as a child of God; a citizen of Heaven – imago dei.

Matthew 25:35-36 (NIRV)
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

So, yes, I pray for Israel. But I oppose violence against the weak and defenseless. I oppose terrorism, like that displayed by the members of Hamas. But pray for the blameless afflicted; Israeli, Palestinian or Samaritan who are victims of group hate and violence and treachery.

I hate hate.

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Praying for God's grace and peace in your life,

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