Praying for the Peace of Israel

I am not the typical news-watcher for daily worldwide updates. So, I was stunned when I heard our pastor in a most heart-wrenching way, express his dismay over the attacks in Israel by the Hamas regime on Sunday.

My heart aches for Israel as I watched the news about the worst attack on civilians in Israel’s history. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said his Security Cabinet declared the country at war and authorized “the taking of significant military steps as the war that was forced on the State of Israel in a murderous terrorist assault from the Gaza Strip began.”

As Christians, we should stand with Israel under attack. We should pay special attention to violence directed toward Israel — just as we would pay special attention to a violent attack on a member of our family. After all, we are grafted into the promise made to Abraham (Romans 11:17). Our Lord Jesus was and is a Jewish man from Galilee. Rage against the Jewish people is rage against Him, and, because we are in Him, against us.

I know so little about today’s Israel, but I do know God’s chosen people live there and here in America. At times like this, my mind always rushes to my Israel pilgrimage in 2017. My fellow pilgrims sang this beloved song, “Jerusalem, Our Destiny”, many times:

“I have fixed my eyes on your hills,
Jerusalem, my Destiny!
Though I cannot see the end for me,
I cannot turn away.
We have set our hearts for the way;
This journey is our destiny.
Let no one walk alone.
The journey makes us one.”

This journey enlightened me to the need for our allegiance, our prayers, and our support for Israel. I pray that we all pray for the peace of Israel. I pray for those whose lives have been so terribly impacted by the losses of loved ones. As so many religions here in America can dwell together in peace and harmony, I pray that Israel will dwell in peace also.

Psalm 122:6-9 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers! For my brothers and companions’ sake.”

I join with my beloved Jewish friend in her words to me when I reached out to her yesterday morning:

“My daughter and her husband are safe. So far, so is the rest of the family. But so many killed, injured and terrorized. She says: “It’s bad, the worst she’s seen, the worst in present memory. May the Holy One remind all of us, on all sides, that we are His kids and we MUST do our part!”

She forwarded her rabbi’s letter to me yesterday. I pass an excerpt on to my faith-filled and believing friends:

Dear South Austin Jewish Community and friends,
It is with a heavy heart that we address the grave situation unfolding in the Holy Land. Our thoughts and prayers are deeply rooted in the pain and heartbreak that has befallen our brothers and sisters in Israel. Innocent lives are being taken, and the anguish is immense. It is important for us to stay connected and support one another during times like these.

(If you have any contacts in Israel, or have friends who have loved ones there, a call or message can be uplifting.)

Our brave young men and women are courageously stepping onto the front lines to defend life. We pray fervently that our soldiers succeed in protecting life, and that every soldier returns home safe and sound. In Jewish tradition we believe that spiritual actions have powerful effects on physical situations.

As we pray for peace and healing, let us remember the words, “May the One who makes peace in the heavens make peace upon us and upon all of Israel, and let us say, Amen.”
With love, unity, and unwavering hope,
Rabbi Mendel and Rikki Hertz
Chabad of South Austin

God of Comfort, please send your Spirit to encompass all those whose lives are torn apart by violence and death in Israel and Palestine. May all hearts reach out in healing and peace. Through Christ our Lord, we pray! Amen!