Scottish Catholic Observer

Sadly after decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that thought seems as true today as ever. The latest round of fighting in Gaza will leave many dead, but true lasting peace as far away as ever. More than that, it is hard to conceive of how that situation can ever change. Both sides have endured too much and done too much for the trust that peacemaking requires to ever come easily.

Many will feel that the Israelis are the ones with the whip hand, who are bombing heavily civilian areas in this latest firefight, that they are the greater sinners in this case.  But there has never been a shortage of sinners in the Holy Land. And as this conflict rumbles on and on, becomes more and more entrenched, it becomes impossible to see how it ever can be ended.

Thankfully, Pope Francis offers an inspiring example, for even when hope expires, faith can remain. As he implored God on Sunday, ‘listen to the cry of our people to transform our weapons into instruments of peace, our fears into trust and our tensions into forgiveness.’

The Holy Father hits upon an essential truth here: no one wants to suffer. Israelis who live in fear of a bomb attack, Palestinians of a missile hitting their house—no one wants to live like that. They only accept it because having accepted that fear, the fear of something even worse always looms large in their mind.

For although in diplomatic terms the Middle East Peace process may be dead and buried, in human terms the need for peace is as real as ever. More than diplomatic envoys, American pressure or sanctions, it is breaking down those walls of fear that will bring peace to the Holy Land.

There is no better way of breaching such barriers than through love and prayer. This is the heart of Pope Francis’ message of peace. We need to look beyond the guns and missiles, and politicians and generals and accept the human nature of suffering. Seeing that, we must help all those who suffer.

When the Pope travelled to the Holy Land earlier this year he embraced all who he met. He was not condemnatory or fiery but the message he brought was all the more powerful for that.

This Sunday we should follow Pope Francis’ lead and pray for peace in the Holy Land, pray for all those who suffer, for all those who yearn for a better world. It may be the best, only chance there is.