The Middle East In Regard To Sunday School Commentary
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However, one topic that always been grinding away at me is when the topics of the current events in the Middle East are brought up by others in passing when describing the current climate and the state of things. There are a few reasons for this. There has been a conflict going on in Ukraine for the past two and a half years. A functional democracy was attacked by a war-mongering megalomanic who does not respect the sovereignty of others. Yet, I have not heard a peep about this war when people offer their take on current events. Yet, when the events in the Middle East happened, all of a sudden, someone would make a reference about the state of things today in regard to the events in the Middle East at least once during the lesson every week.
Now, do not get me wrong. What is happening in the Middle East greatly deserves our attention. But at the same time, I feel that other topics deserve strong mention as well, again like that conflict in Ukraine. There are other world events that deserve mention, but I want to keep this article as short as humanly possible.
As a Christian, my spiritualty is not tied to the physical presence of the land in the Middle East. As a Sunday School teacher, I fully acknowledge the historical importance of the Middle East. At the same time, as a Christian, one is also taught that since that land has fulfilled its spiritual purpose when Jesus ascended into heaven. Thus, our spiritual walk isn't tied to the physical presence of the landmarks in the Middle East. Now, this does NOT make the Middle East any less important when it comes to current events, it just places it on equal caliber with the rest of the world now, again, no different from events that happen in this country, Ukraine, or any other part of Africa, Europe, or Asia for that matter.
There are certain terms that I do not like that would fall under the "Pet peeve" territory. "Holy Ground" is one such term. Holy Ground is the sacred teachings that we keep in our hearts, not tied to any particular location. What is so holy about a location filled with the dead and the blood of others spilled in a very violent manner and coldly justified in the name of religion?
As a Sunday School teacher, I have a very strong rule that I abide by: I don't make a Biblical connection between the ancient political entities of the Bible and their current equivalents. The reason for this is that, and many eyes and ears are about to burst into flames at what you're about to read, but there isn't a Biblical connection between the ancient and the current political entities. The only thing they have in common is that they occupy the same land area.
As such, I don't use the current political names to describe the ancient kingdoms. Israelites and Israeli are not the same thing. Israelites is used to describe the ancient confederation of like-minded tribes of the Old Testament up to the land during the time of Jesus. Israeli is used to describe the modern secular nation founded by the UN by Resolution 181 on November 27, 1947. The two nations are not the same thing. Now, that does not make the modern country any less important, just an equal among others. Philistines and Palestinians are not the same thing either. Anyone who uses the current political terms to describe the ancient kingdoms are doing both a massive historical and spiritual disservice to the by manipulating their audience into thinking that they are the same thing when they are not and are much more driven by making a political statement than they are by spirituality. While on the same subject, when one sees a church flying Israel's Star of David Flag, the flag's presence is only there to serve in making a political statement, not a spiritual one, as again, there is no Biblical connection between the ancient kingdom and the modern country,
Speaking of pet peeve terms, the phrase "Holy War" would fall into that same category as well. What's so holy about killing others violently in the name of religion, regardless of what that religion is? At the end of the day, what is so holy about war?
Pray for those in Israel. Pray for those who have lost loved ones by the hands of Hamas .
Also pray for the Palestinians in Gaza, as they have been involved in a war that they didn't ask to be a part of, and are suffering horrifically because of it, needlessly as well as I might add through indiscirinmanete bombings.
Also pray for those in Ukraine who are suffering because they got caught in an unjustified war that they didn't want to be a part of and are now because of some war-mongering megalomanic.
Pray for those in Russia who are being forced to fight in a war that they didn't ask to be a part of either, with their lives being treated with complete disdain by that same megalomanic.
Pray for the Muslims, Christians, and Buhdist who face religious persecution in China, and elsewhere for that matter. Religious persecution is the same, regardless of who is at the receiving end. The pain is real and the same, and not just in China, but elsewhere, including Africa, Myanmar, and elsewhere.
Pray for the LGBTQ in this country and elsewhere as well. They face persecution and suffering along with everybody else. In order to have a functional democratic society, for the rights of one group to be upheld, they have to uphold the rights of others as well. What that means is that if Christians want their civic rights upheld, they have to uphold the civic rights as everybody else who are a part of that society as well. Otherwise, are they going to uphold your right? It's the idea of the good Samaritan extended in the civic manner. At the end of the day, were better than the violence that defines out suffering. Yes, we can be our own worst enemy, but we can also be our own best solution to all the suffering that is going on. Persecution and suffering is a universal issue that requires all of us. One can't go it alone. I think I will leave it their.
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