Who do we pray for? What do we pray? Let’s start with prayer for over 200 hostages

I wrote in my last column about February, when I led a tour group of Jews and Christians to Israel, and we visited several communities along the Gaza Strip. I mentioned a town called Netiv HaAsarah which means “Pathway of the Ten.”

Netiv HaAsarah is a settlement in southern Israel located in the northwest Negev, just at the northern border of the Gaza Strip. As of 2021, it had a population of 900. Now that has been reduced by 15 people who I learned last week were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists.

We had stood by the Gaza wall and alongside a concrete peace wall that the residents had built. We all expressed hope back in February that the missiles would cease and that, one day, the people could learn how to live together.

I suppose it takes something personal to connect someone to the tragedies of this current war between Israel and Hamas. Life is about connecting personally to people’s lives, whether it is celebrating happy events or mourning the sadness of unexpected tragedies. No matter what, when we relate personally to someone’s life experience, it makes all the difference.

I did not know the people who were murdered at Netiv HaAsarah. The woman we met with who was our host and who explained not only her journey to the small community but who described the blessings and beauty of living in this precarious part of southern Israel did, in fact, manage to survive. The Psalmist said, “Give thanks to the Lord for his mercy endures forever.”

The media saturates us with so many personal stories of tragedy, inspiration and hope. The personal side of this war intersects with the hardest issues that any clergy can deal with when considering the potential consequences of Israel preparing to invade Gaza especially considering the Iranian proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis of Yemen showering missiles towards Israel.

We watch the scenes of suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza. We know many are innocent and not necessarily supportive of Hamas. Yet, we struggle with Israel’s right and duty protect its population and to free the hostages knowing full well that their efforts in Gaza will lead to many deaths of Gaza residents.

Who do we pray for? What do we pray for? What is the right path of God when one is caught between abhorring violence and needing to protect the innocent from the hands of terrorists? Yes, it gets personal when we are speaking about people on either side who we know and care about living in Israel or Gaza.

I am first praying for the release or the liberation of all the hostages. Hamas must release them now all at once.

I am praying that God gives me the strength to endure the nonstop and seemingly endless barrage of articles, news reports and videos of horror and cruelty.

I am not praying for miracles, although that is exactly what is needed at this moment.

I am praying for leadership that the people in positions of power are working 24/7 for the hostages’ release and to make war avoidable.

I am praying for the Israel Defense Forces and that they use their professional skills to achieve their missions with minimum collateral damage to the innocent Gaza citizens.

I am praying with gratitude for my country’s commitment to Israel and that its leaders stand by Israel’s side at its hour of need.

I am praying with profound thanks to the many citizens of this community who have written and spoken to me of their support for Israel.

I pray for those who protest and that they do so without violence and without intimidation of others who do not share their viewpoint.

I pray that I can listen respectfully to viewpoints I do not share and that others will listen to me with the same respect when they do not agree with my opinion.

I pray that God, while listening to our prayers, is also shedding tears at our predicament and figuring out a way to make a difference for us, even though God gave us freedom to do good and evil. I suppose I am praying for a miracle after all.

When terror strikes our world in ways too horrific to imagine, I confess I do not have the answers or the wisdom that the great thinkers of this world have offered to humanity. As far as I am concerned, I am better at asking questions than giving answers. Maybe that is because we can all share the questions together.

Yes, life and prayer is always personal. People matter, but war is about stripping away the personal aspect of life.

The world is redeemed one person at a time. Let’s start with prayer for over 200 hostages from America, Israel and other nations held hostage inside the tunnels of Hamas. May they find their freedom in this life soon. May it be God’s will.

Will you join me in that prayer?