For some strange reason, I am always one to get into trouble. To be clear, its not destructive trouble. It is simply the kind of trouble that garners a loud "Michael!" from my beautiful wife every now and again. This is typically in response to something I say aloud that probably shouldn't be said aloud. Its not my fault I speak what almost everyone else is thinking. I've received many elbows, scowls and/or "Michael" in church services, shopping malls, restaurants; pretty much anywhere. It must part of the "Voitian" DNA, which one day I hope to author a book about. I am trying to be more conscious of my initial verbal reactions to things, but its just so hard. If I can twist the words of musician and singer John Mayer, sometimes you just need "to say what you need to say." As I write, this I can already feel a future elbow to the ribs.
My inability to withhold my initial reactions to particular situations or interactions has often brought me into various social media muddles. Besides this blog (which I have neglected since its inception), Facebook is the only social media realm I currently engage. Facebook is always chocked full of opinions, rants, raves about a variety of issues; most popular topics include politics, foreign policy, puppies, cheeseburgers and whether or not a certain "selfie" should have been posted by that 48 year old gentleman still living with his mom. Within the past month or so, Facebook has been flooded with commentary regarding the Israeli-Gaza conflict as well as the absolutely brutal terrorist network known as ISIS which is systematically killing all religious minorities, including women and children. As a person that has trouble withholding my initial reaction to situations or interactions, I have quickly and passionately entered the fray via Facebook.
My heart has grown incredibly heavy regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. It's grown even heavier when I learned of the thousands of refugees trapped on a mountainside in Iraq due to ISIS' relentlessly brutal attacks. This morning I was having coffee with a very wise and intelligent man that has very quickly become a good friend. Last night, he was at a concert at a nearby Christian camp. As the concert commenced and people were "loving the music," he shared how he could not stop thinking about those refugees trapped in Northern Iraq. It's as if he compared the dire and despair-filled situation of so many men, women and children in Iraq to those singing and joyful at the concert in sunny, warm and safe Pennsylvania. When he finished sharing this story, I shared my similar anguish over the situation. I shared the anguish and despair that hit me full force yesterday as I drove to the local grocery store to pick up a few things. While driving, my heart was for those whose lives have and continue to be snuffed out. My heart continued to grieve and feel the pain of the loss of life in Gaza and Israel. My heart and mind bordered on utter, all out despair.
In the past few weeks, I have randomly and passionately posted via Facebook about the horrendous and mounting death toll in Gaza. I've posted articles from CNN which have reported and estimated a 70-80% civilian causality rate among the thousand or so that have died. These posts have been met with push back. They've also been met with silence. I presume the silence to be one of two things:
1. Some do not want to give their comments for fear of not knowing what to say or how to say it.
2. Others would rather not think about it or - let's be honest - don't care.
Alongside of receiving push back or hearing little commentary about my posts, I've also been directed to articles that have been posted on people's Facebook posts. Such articles are written by political commentators attempting to give the "truth" about the Gaza and Israel conflict.
I respect the differing opinions and push back I have received. However, I will be honest and say that it has been very hard not to revert to spouting off my initial, passionate, sometimes misguided, intensely opposing responses. It has been especially hard to withhold my thoughts on the perspectives of fellow Christians. In response to the Israel and Gaza conflict, it appears that people are presented with two choices. People can either back Israel and say they are justified in their response to Hamas' defiant and violent actions or people can back Gaza. As I see these dominant options emerge and people taking different sides, I want to scream: "Seriously?" When I see fellow Christians follow suit, I want to smash my computer screen.
This two-option scenario that appears to be presented to us, I would dub "Playground Philosophy." When fights broke out on the playground in elementary school, we often argued about who started it while we sat in the principal's office or stood out in the hallway as our homeroom teacher berated us. In regards to the situation in Gaza, are we really going to argue over who started it and who is justified and then choose the appropriate side? In my mind, this approach is tragic because when we engage in the taking of sides and diligently argue for our perspective, we forget the people caught in the middle of this horrific warfare. Those are the people that don't have a voice. They are simply caught in the middle of it all with their families while we make cases for justification. When we hear of a school being accidentally bombed because there were nearby Hamas militants, why is our first inclination to call Hamas cowards because they hide among the innocent? Yes, there is evidence of Hamas engaging in such activity. But why are you not grieving over the loss of those precious children? When humanity in general is engaged in combat and people are losing their lives over a longstanding, unresolved power struggle, why in the world do we default to taking sides and simply being okay with loss of life in general?
Post all the articles and commentary you want, people - children, women, men - mothers, fathers, daughters and sons - are dying. People, made in God's Image, are either caught in the crossfire or they are ensnared by the "Myth of Redemptive Violence (See Walter Wink - The Powers that Be ). However, you want to argue or justify this warfare, all of it is an affront to the God of Life. As I have been grieving for the innocent and posting my cries for them. Yet I have not posted these laments because I am taking a side. I post these laments because I do not want people - especially fellow Christians - to lose sight of the real tragedy. I believe people have pushed back for numerous reasons; among them being "Playground Philosophy" deeply intertwined with various political and religious convictions. When I have cried out for the innocent, some have immediately assumed that I have sided with Gaza. In the schematic of "Playground Philosophy," there are only two options and since I posted an article about the loss of innocent life in Gaza the assumption is made that I am on Hamas' side.
I do not pretend to think I know everything - in fact, I know I don't. I do not know everything about the Israeli-Gaza conflict. I have Christian friends posting articles and commentary justifying Israel's actions. I have Muslim friends I dearly love posting the opposite. Things are quite confusing for a great many people regarding this whole conflict. But one thing that should NOT be confusing is the God of Life as revealed in the Jesus. God is for life. God is pro-life for the entirety of a person's life. To lose sight of this, I believe, is to lose sight of Jesus.
As I think about my beautiful wife and my wonderfully, unique and precious daughter, I cannot help to think that all of our arguments and perspectives would be a lot different if those were our family members and children caught in the middle of war. I imagine all of our arguments turning to dust in the moment when we held our spouse or child in our arms for the last time. God, have mercy!
My friends, If I am an idealist, then so be it. If being an idealist means that I am wholeheartedly grasping onto the truth of resurrection and restoration for this entire world, then call me an idealist all you want. If I am an idealist for crying out for innocent men, women and children, then call me an idealist.
I'm not on any side.
I'm on the side of Jesus and doing all I can to discern what that looks like.
I'm on the side of life, not just at conception.
I'm on the side of seeing and partnering with God to restore His good world.
Save us O' God!
