What's a Christian to do with the Middle East?

A Call to Christians

When I visited Israel last Spring, I was simply blown away by its biblical
splendor. All my life, the pages had whispered their appearance to me, yet
I struggled to put meaningful images together. When I landed, they shouted
out. Often studying scripture twice a day, our church group became immersed in the
experience of the Holy Land. It was an easy thing to do. Traveling through
time, we often had to describe a place using several centuries often
finishing up with a "where is it now?"

Through all this, I had to remember. The land is historic, the country is
not.

Too many times while reading Christian articles, The State of Israel is
referenced as if it is EXACTLY what Israel was a few thousand years ago.
Mind you, this is not a comment on SoI's right to exist. It's simply an
acknowledgement of a difference.

Christians cannot afford to ignore reality simply because they're excited
something they are reading is real. I understand that this makes faith an
easier thing for some people. To read the landscape for prophetic signs of
Jesus' coming and feel relieved that it's all true.

But suffering is true.
And sickness is true.
And injustice is true.

And these are things we know, without a doubt, that Jesus called us to stand
up against whether they¹re happening in Haifa or in Beirut. Whether they're
attached with words of hatred or words of achieving security. If innocent
people* are dying, we have to be the speakers for the dead.

Jesus did not come here to be a politician.
Jesus did not come here to pick earthly sides.

We can't allow ourselves to do the same.

We have to realize this might leave us without a home on Earth.
But if we know where our Home truly is, does that matter?

*Questions, of course, arise here with the definition of "guilty." Small
steps first.