Dear Friends,
I cannot get what is happening in the middle east out of my mind, nor it seems can many of you.  I have heard from several of you wondering how we as Christians are to respond.  The situation is complicated and does not lend itself to easy answers.  Jesus offers perspectives we must keep in mind which are not always easy. 
 Israel’s natural response in the face of unimaginable cruelty and an organization determined to destroy the nation is to do whatever necessary to end Hamas’ ongoing threat.  And yet that is no easy matter, and war is not an unambiguous solution. It is good to see attention being paid to the humanitarian concerns, even in a time of war.  Undoubtedly innocent civilians, including numerous children, will suffer.  Indeed, they already have. Families are being displaced from their homes, as has happened before in earlier wars.  Even with Hamas decimated, there will still be unresolved issues between the Palestinians and Israelis.  We have visited the troubled area of Gaza on several visits to Israeli and what it’s future will be is anything but clear.   The terrorist attacks and the expected response may only complicate any solutions to these dilemmas. The need for forgiveness and love in that face of hate will be a challenge for the foreseeable future.  The politics is complicated enough, which only makes the moral imperative more necessary.    
We received a powerful, emotional message from a devoted family in our Winchester church.  They are  Palestinians, who had been forced from their home in the 1967 war and  never permitted to return. Many of those displaced families wound up in Gaza in refugee camps, but they were fortunate to make it to the U.S. However, they are acutely aware, that things could have been different.  They want others to know that Hamas and Palestinians are not the same.   
Our friend Nicole, who is one of the kindest and most compassionate people I know, has given us permission to share these words she wrote to explain the anguish she is feeling: 
If God’s plan hadn’t unfolded for them (her grandparents) to leave their home (and sadly their history, family, culture) to be welcomed to a new land, this could be us. 
We could be living in fear without power, water, safety, freedom, rights, or a way to leave.
We could be living side by side with Israeli neighbors and friends who we love and who love us, who may be different but who both believe in a non-violent world where we have some sovereignty and basic human rights. 
We could be outraged at horrific acts of violence and know we have no legal rights to control any sort of democratic process that peacefully advocates for our rights. 
This could be us. It’s hard to fathom.  I won’t profess to know everything but I do know this.  When we call out inhumane and horrific acts of violence, it needs to include all acts, done by all people. When we advocate for peace and democracy and freedom it must include all people. And when we pray for peace, our prayers need to be for all. 
However we look at the past horror, and what is to come, we need to look with the eyes of Jesus, who had special compassion for children, who himself was a refugee in Egypt and know what it was to be displaced, who abhorred violence,  who desired to bind the wounds of the brokenhearted and who sought to bring peace.  We can hardly imagine what is ahead for the land holy to three great religions.  Undoubtedly, the months ahead will provide opportunity for us to show compassion to many hurting people. And to pray persistently and fervently for the peace of Jerusalem. 
               We worship because it provides perspective beyond what we experience and worry about day to day.  The readings for Sunday are Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and Philippians 3:4-14.  The sermon is “Resume Building.” 
Please keep Bruce and MaryAnn Anderson and Terry and Linda Ryan in your prayers. 
See you in church.
Rich