SIgns of Hope in a Broken Land?

“Whatever the reasons, when forgiveness happens it is always a miracle of grace. The obstacles in its way are immense." ~ Miroslav Volf
       Very close to the Israeli-Syrian border on the Golan Heights is a directional sign which shows the distances to some high-profile locations. Most of them have seen tremendous strife and bloodshed over many years. The sign was sobering and saddening to me.
       Forgiveness, understanding, an "attentive heart and mind" is rare to find in the Middle East. Animosity between people is typical and rampant.
       But there are a handful (do I dare call them a "remnant?") of followers of Jesus who are seeking forgiveness and even reconciliation. They are Jewish believers and Arab believers - people such as Salim Munayer of Musalaha (Reconciliation). I will write about my meeting with Salim in another post.
       I am more convinced now than I was previously that the Christian voice is so critical in the midst of the intractable conflict between Jews and Arabs/Palestinians. The gospel turns the arguments on their head. We are called to serve, love, even forgive because Jesus first served, loved, and forgave (see I John 5 and elsewhere).
       Perhaps I will not see this change in the Middle East in my lifetime. But it is like planting an Olive Tree, which will not bear fruit for a number of years and then can live for centuries!
       People don't plant olive trees for themselves; they plant them for generations to come. We would do well to have such an attitude about learning to forgive the "other" as we represent Jesus to a broken world.