My intestines hurt. My heart hurts. provoke anger.
Many of us have experienced all of those emotions last week, considering Hamas’s attack on Israel and the ensuing horrific situation unfolding in the Middle East.
If you need proof that evil exists in the world, you don’t have to look too far to find evidence of unimaginable horrors.
I am often amazed at what humans are capable of when their energy is channeled positively, such as space travel, medical discoveries, and large-scale innovation. As human discoveries continue to advance, we are constantly learning more about the world around us.
But the opposite of proactive capability is what happened in Israel, as terrorists reduced lives to insignificance. The last few days have made me think about true evil, the discarding of lives by such horrific means, whether for shock value, war strategy, or just plain hatred.
I grieve for the people of Israel, but I believe we need to support the Jewish people. Genesis 12 says of the Abrahamic Covenant regarding these people: āThose who bless you I will bless, and those who curse you I will curse; and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.ā
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is incredibly complex, with a long history of conflict on both sides. No place on earth has experienced as much upheaval as the Middle East.
I also sympathize with the Palestinians who are caught up in this situation. Oppressed people are easily manipulated, and the iron fist of regimes like Hamas creates a culture of fear and hatred against their enemies. Children are naturally innocent, but they are trained from an early age to hate and fight their enemies.
No repression should be celebrated, and Israel’s response to Hamas’s surprise attack has left many Palestinians in horrific situations. It is most important for Israel to protect itself, but no one is happy about the situation, which is so bad from every perspective.
After all, the oppression of Jews is a little too close to what happened during the Holocaust just a few generations ago.
I believe that this is the reason behind the hatred towards Jews. As a world born from the atrocities of the Holocaust, we must always be wary of history repeating itself. That’s why so many people are so troubled by the anti-Semitic protests that took place around the world and across our country last week.
It’s all evidence that we live in a broken world.
In my opinion, this is also positive evidence that we need to turn to faith with a renewed spirit of helping suffering people everywhere. This proves that the political games that are common in America are less important and that decisions that are truly good for people are what should be considered.
This is positive proof that we can do both good and bad things, and we must always be on guard to be able to tell the difference between the two.
May light shine through the darkness and help us wake up and focus on what really matters.
Jeremy Speer, an Alpena native, has written for The Courier in Findlay, Ohio, the Sandusky (Ohio) Register in Tiffin, Ohio, the Advertiser Tribune in Tiffin, Ohio, and the Norwalk (Ohio) in Fostoria, Ohio. ) is the publisher of “Reflector” and “Review Times.” He can be reached at jeremyspeer@thecourier.com.