Against the background of the unhappy conflict in the Middle East, where the world community denounces, almost by definition,  Israel as the scapegoat, our European opinion-forming debaters unanimously agree on looking to the U.S. as having the key role for peace in that hot spot of the world.

Let us go straight to the point.  The U.S. has no key to peace, nor do communities like UN, EU or anybody else.  Peace is not secured by peace talks, peace agreements, peace negotiations or any vocal peace movements.  The peace is and always will be in Jesus Christ only.

Don´t get side tracked, friends. The debaters mean it well, I wish to be that kind, but again, there will be no peace apart from Christ.  That makes the preaching of the gospel as relevant as ever.  “He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near!” (Eph. 2:17).

Isn´t that still our mission?  “Be reconciled to God!” (2 Cor. 5:20) is the message of His ambassadors which means, abandon your heart´s hostility toward the One who longs to forgive you and give you His lasting peace.

The problem in the Middle East lies in every heart with its rebellion towards God.  Praise the Lord, in the ancient Holy Land there are small, rather obscure groups of Jews and Arabs who have found peace at the cross of Jesus and now come together as one in Christ worshipping Him who “has broken down the middle wall of separation” (Eph. 2:14).

So our passion as followers of Christ we don´t preach politics, but Christ, the Key to peace, for the individual, indeed, and to the ends of the world.  Our  surroundings should hear that word of the cross, shouldn´t they?

July 22, 2014 - jn