The prospect of Israel and Iran going to war is a dramatic escalation of unrest in the Middle East. Before we may rush to the conclusion that Iran deserves to be attacked, it is important to understand the gravity of this:
1. The Persian-Arab divide is far more volatile than most westerners understand. The Iranians are Persian and there is very deep hostility between them and Arab peoples (especially the Saudis);
2. American foreign policy has largely been "hands off" when Persians and Arabs go to war against each other, e.g. the 8-year war between Iraq and Iran. In my opinion, this is incredibly short-sighted on the part of the U.S. and adds to the hatred of Persians and Arabs toward the west;
3. The Shi'ite Muslim world of Iran, Hezbullah, and its alliance with Syria (although the rulers of Syria are Alowites) is certainly anti-Israel but they have different beliefs and worldview than the Sunni world (Saudi Arabia, Qatar). So, engaging in an escalation with the Shi'ite world is a whole lot more volatile than engaging with the Sunni world. More on this at another time.
What is needed more than ever is a non-political peace plan - a Kingdom plan. The plan that Jesus brought to the Middle East when we road into Jerusalem (the city of PEACE) on a donkey. It will be nothing short of a miracle for there to be an outbreak of the Kingdom of God in Iran and Israel! Now THAT would be apocalyptic!
1. The Persian-Arab divide is far more volatile than most westerners understand. The Iranians are Persian and there is very deep hostility between them and Arab peoples (especially the Saudis);
2. American foreign policy has largely been "hands off" when Persians and Arabs go to war against each other, e.g. the 8-year war between Iraq and Iran. In my opinion, this is incredibly short-sighted on the part of the U.S. and adds to the hatred of Persians and Arabs toward the west;
3. The Shi'ite Muslim world of Iran, Hezbullah, and its alliance with Syria (although the rulers of Syria are Alowites) is certainly anti-Israel but they have different beliefs and worldview than the Sunni world (Saudi Arabia, Qatar). So, engaging in an escalation with the Shi'ite world is a whole lot more volatile than engaging with the Sunni world. More on this at another time.
What is needed more than ever is a non-political peace plan - a Kingdom plan. The plan that Jesus brought to the Middle East when we road into Jerusalem (the city of PEACE) on a donkey. It will be nothing short of a miracle for there to be an outbreak of the Kingdom of God in Iran and Israel! Now THAT would be apocalyptic!