It was an interesting discussion that arose this week. The topic was the Gaza Strip and Israel and she was very angry and upset. “I am so upset and think Israel is in the wrong – they cannot be allowed to continue”. I didn’t and don’t disagree. They could be guilty of war crimes.

This gave the opportunity to talk about the history of the region beginning with Abraham and covering, rather quickly, some Biblical history and the 1948 decision to create a new Israel.

The fight over land, the fight over control, the belief by both sides that this is “their land” and the claims of both sides that they will annihilate the other brings us all the edge of a great calamity first visited upon those who are innocent victims and eventually to a wider constituency. There are no winners here.

In this discussion, I spoke of the Roman occupation and was reminded that even in Jesus’s day the hope of the Jews who listened to him and followed him was that he would lead a revolution to overthrow the Romans. The question of James and John – “will you let us sit one on your left and one on your right when you come into your Kingdom” illustrates that even the disciples were thinking.

But Jesus, the Prince of Peace, made it clear over and over that His Kingdom was not of this world and that in the end, He would lay down His life “that the world might saved”. Now, 2000 years later it appears that even as we sing Silent Night, Holy Night, we need saving now more than ever.

Advent is a time to look forward to the return of Jesus and maybe you will join me in saying “Maranatha, Lord Come Quickly”.