So, What DO I say about the Middle East?

I spoke to two groups of students the other day while in Jerusalem. I was nervous, wondering if I could say anything that would make sense in the midst of enormous complexity between Jews and Palestinians.
       Quite honestly, I feel the intensity of a variety of people watching and listening to my perspective after this trip to Israel.
  * There are the people from my "tribe," those Jewish friends and family who represent my roots as a Jewish New Yorker;
  * There are the people I work with every day - those dedicated to sharing the hope of Christ with Muslims in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. I work closely with a Lebanese Arab and have people on our staff from Jordan, Tunisia, and Afghanistan;
  * There are the people associated with the messianic movement in Israel, Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere;
  * There are Arab Palestinian Christians who are friends and colleagues;
  * And last but certainly not least, there are people closest to me such as my daughter who has spent the past 4 months in the midst of the conflict of the Middle East.
       Here is what I shared in a devotional to 50+ students as we were overlooking southern Jerusalem:
       Micah 6:8 tells us that God requires three things of true followers of Him: to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. These three qualities are foundational to the Christian life, and most especially crucial in the midst of a conflict such as between Jews and Arabs. For me these attitudes are non-negotiable.
       I related the Micah passage to Paul's words in Romans 3:19-24, reminding us that ALL fall short of God's glory - Jew and Arab, male and female, young and old alike. We are fallen, sinful people - that's not exactly what anyone wants to hear. Nonetheless, it actually helps me process the enormity of the conflict in this land.
       Lest I "cast the first stone" at anyone, I need to check my own heart and see the darkness in it. I find myself much slower to blame and point fingers at those who would otherwise be my enemy.