God has a heart for the people of Israel and Palestine... so we should too

Someone once said to me that those who have a heart for the Israelis but not Palestinians do not fully have the heart of God. I was a 19-year-old girl from Finnish Lapland who had moved to Jerusalem to participate in a Bible study program at the time. He went on to say that those who have a heart for Palestinians, but not Israelis, do not have the full heart of God either. God’s heart is for both people groups.

I struggled to understand the depth of that lesson then, but the words carried me through as I spent over two years living in Jerusalem, serving Holocaust survivors in Haifa and helping out at a children’s summer camp in Ramallah. Little did I know that my heart would be shaped through the interactions with both nations and that my journey with God would take me around the world, yet regularly back to Jerusalem.

Those who have a heart for the Israelis but not Palestinians do not fully have the heart of God.

This Saturday, as I watched the news outlining the details of the most horrific terrorist attack that Israel has faced in its recent history, my heart shook. The scale of horror that Israelis were experiencing made me fight tears – as a mother, hearing children being kidnapped and killed touched the very core of my being. There is absolutely no justification for these acts of violence.

Yet, in the midst of it all, my thoughts also turned to the people of Gaza – those who have lived in the "world’s biggest open-air prison" for decades – not promoting violence or supporting Hamas but yearning for freedom and a life without fear. Being an avid follower of politics in the region and having worked with Palestinian refugees in the past, I am acutely aware of the decades of pain and suffering that they have gone through. The international community has not succeeded to find a solution to the situation and now, yet again, ordinary citizens are facing a real humanitarian crisis and immense suffering.

I am acutely aware of the decades of pain and suffering that they have gone through.

As the news unfolded, I started praying. I struggled to find words, even faith that God could break through. I asked God to guide my prayers and started to pray for the God who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine to bring life and light into this desperate situation.

I don’t want to pretend that I have the answers to end the conflict. But I echo the calls to protect civilians, to protect life. Let’s pray that the conflict doesn’t spread. Let’s pray for healing and peace that lasts. Let’s pray for God’s kingdom to come. On earth as it is in heaven. And on a final, practical note, I would like to encourage everyone to exercise caution when you read social media posts about the situation – there is a lot of misinformation out there.