Saturday, August 02, 2014

Thoughts on Gaza and more...

From the pen of King David, as inspired by the Almighty...
"A Song of Ascents, of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Our feet are standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is compact together; To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD-- An ordinance for Israel-- To give thanks to the name of the LORD. For there thrones were set for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. "May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces." For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good."  Psalm 122
Like many of you, I've been watching the the continuing strife in the mideast, not only the bloodbath in the fertile crescent, but the conflict on Israel's southwest border with the the Hamas-controlled terror state of the Gaza Strip.  The images are hard to look at, especially for us in the west who've been largely insulated from carnage and bloodshed.  I'd venture a guess that the most blood many of us have seen has been at a red cross blood bank.  Yet bloodshed is a fact of life for many on this sin-sick planet.

This morning, there are voices decrying the violence on the Israeli frontier.  They're calling for Israel to cease their military operations, stopping short of accusing them of atrocities against the Palestinians occupying Gaza.  They do this while displaying images of innocent casualties.  Others are calling for Israel to meet Hamas "halfway" in some form of accord.  Even our own Administration is breathing back-handed condemnation towards Israel.  In all of this, I'm finding myself feeling complicated emotions over the situation.

I have no pity for the hell spawn of Hamas.  They started this conflict, they're perpetuating it, and it will cease the moment they stop their murderous activities.  In many ways they remind me of some kids I knew growing up in Coatesville.  These boys found a wasp's nest and thought it would be entertaining to throw rocks at it.  The outcome was anticlimactic and they were stung without mercy.  Like these dopey boys, Hamas is throwing rocks at a proverbial wasp's nest.  They're inflicting damage against the nest and killing a few wasps in the process.  Yet the wasps are completely capable of defending their nest, to the point of interdicting the threat.  And like the wasp, Israel has the moral imperative to, and will defend their borders and citizens.  

I feel pity, washed in scorn for the innocent who are in harm's way.  No sane thinking person can view images of broken, injured civilians without being struck.  Yet these casualties of war have become such due to the cowardice and moral turpitude of the Hamas terrorists using them as human shields.  Only the truly gutless take up firing positions behind children.  Too, these poltroons have no compunction against slaughtering innocent Israeli children (who happen to be arab as well as jew) through their indiscriminate firing of unguided missiles into the Jewish heartland.

Many can't (or won't) see the fact that as part of it's charter, Hamas calls for the complete liquidation of the state of Israel and the Jewish people.  How does Israel meet them half way?  Were Saskatchewan to call for the same concerning our Republic, would we acquiesce?  If rockets were being lobbed into San Diego from Tijuana, would we shelter in place and hope for the best? 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it well when he said something to the fact of "If Hamas were to lay down their weapons, the fighting would immediately cease.  If Israel were to lay down its weapons, Israel would soon cease".  

I continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all Israel.  I know though that this will be at best, a temporary peace until Israel's rightful King steps back down onto the Mount of Olives to establish his eternal kingdom.

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