I am not a political writer. Don't intend to be. I was touched by the election of Barak Obama in part because as a black man he represented something to Black Americans which deeply resonated. There has been great pain in the Black community and their history has not been easy. I live in Memphis TN so the pain of Black Americans is part of the fabric of our city. The other thing about his election which was powerful was his name. Barak Obama is certainly not a name which one would expect to hear in the USA, especially in light of the global conflicts in which we are engaged. There are a large number of people who think he is Muslim, undercover in the most powerful position in the world. I am not one of those. In fact, based on extensive dealings with Liberal Christians I am pretty sure that the President is exactly what he claims to be a Liberal Christian. (I set aside the heresy debate for now)
I am a priest in the Episcopal church, so I have regular contact with liberal Christianity. I atttended the National Convention where Gene Robinson was confirmed. I saw the number of people advocating for Palestinians at our convention. There were several resolutions drafted. I was amazed by many things at convention. The attitude toward the Israel question was one of the most shocking and disturbing. I cannot fathom the affection Episcopalian Progressives harbor for the Palestinians.
A priest of our diocese once did some public speaking on the Middle East. When asked what I thought I responded, "If you do not have a PhD in Middle Eastern studies you are better off keeping your mouth shut." I still think that is true. But we live in a world where we have to make decisions based on partial understanding all the time. So I am going to open my mouth, with some trepidation.
The last week we have learned our President is Irish. Not much had been made of that prior to his recent trip. It is a bit jarring to have the public narrative suddenly shift. What was more jarring to me was the 'Irish' President's declaration (earlier that week) that Israel needed to give back land to the Palestinians so there can be peace. A return to the 1967 borders, he indicated, was the starting place. Israel's response: those borders are indefensible. I do not see anything in recent history to question that assessment. I think the President is wrong and has put Israel in an even more precarious situation.
My daughter made a statement at dinner last night when this came up. "We will kill America." Her point is theological. What we (US) do to Israel will impact how God treats us. I have heard much debate around that premise. I happen to agree with her. My degree of certitude, however, is moderate. I do not cling to this the way I cling to the resurrection, for example. So, I am disturbed by what is taking place right now. I think Israel is in a very difficult position and I think the President has made it more difficult. I am not as clear what God thinks about all this. Like I said, there are easily a dozen different positions on the question. Christians can, and do, disagree. But it is still an important question.
The theological question, voiced by my daughter, is the one which captures my mind. Is it true that the covenant with Abraham means that the US should support the existance of Israel as a nation? Is it true that Israel the present nation is connected to the Biblical promises to Israel the ancient people? Have the Middle Eastern nations intentionally kept the Palestinians in dire circumstance so that they are an 'excuse' to hate Israel? Is the political unrest in the Middle East a turn toward greater hostility to the Jewish people and the state of Israel? My reading of the Biblical narrative leads me to a pro-Israel position. My limited understanding of the Middle East makes me worry about the future of the tiny state of Israel. We live in a changing world. Nation states rise and fall, appear and disappear. I wonder if Israel will last as a nation.
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