Gaza

For those who have been following the terrible pain of the Gaza Strip:
This past week Israel dropped one hundred tons of bombs on the Gaza Strip. They demolished government buildings, mosques, a university, a United Nations School, hundreds of homes. In the process they extinguished many lives — most of them ordinary men, women and children who are penned up inside this ghetto .

Alex Awad, dean of students at Bethlehem Bible College, notes that “There is no doubt that the Qassam rockets launched against the western Negev and Ashkelon by Islamic militants linked to Hamas cause great pain and anxiety for many Israelis. Most people agree that Israel, like any other country, has the right to defend itself from outside attacks. However, when it comes to dealing with its enemies, Israel has a pattern of being extreme. “An eye for an eye” does not satisfy. It has to be more like one hundred eyes for one eye and one hundred teeth for one tooth”.

Mahatma Gandhi once said that “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. This cycle of violence has blinded everyone. And somewhere, someone needs to soften their hearts. I came across Sarit Hadad singing Shema’ Israel — the title recalls the ancient words of the daily foundational prayer, the Shema’ (Dt 6:4) — When the heart shuts up, every breath cries out, make it stop...

When the heart is crying, time stops moving
in an inkling a man sees his whole life pass
to the unknown he does not want to go
to his God he calls, on the edge of the abyss

Hear Israel, my God, you can do all
you gave me my life, you gave me all
in my eyes a tear, silently the heart cries
when the heart shuts up, one’s breath cries out