As we read these lessons today, we are challenged to find the relevance of Paul’s words for one of the highest profile conflicts of the day.  The struggle of Israel for peace in its borders is ancient, extending beyond the temporal realms of human political regimes for ages.  At various times of heightened tensions, leaders from various groups within the region seek political and military solutions to violence, hatred, and constant conflicts, drawing inspirations from their respective religious law and faith traditions.  It seems that those laws and faith traditions leave little room to negotiate peace.  Over my lifetime, it seems that the only way these conflicts get diminished is when outside negotiators get drawn in as some sort of referees.  That is increasingly difficult to achieve as outsiders are perceived as also having their own political interests in the matter.  So, whose laws and whose faith traditions can bring us closer to peace in Israel?  Who is right and who is wrong?  Certainly, international law protecting human rights and international treaties should not be violated.  But there is something more I think, we as Christians can think about and bring to this human tragedy. 

In my reflection today, I took a closer look at what Paul is saying in his letter to the Romans in Chapter 9.  Paul reminds us that righteousness, or the quality of being right or justifiable, does not come from any laws, especially of the religious sort, but from faith.  But now we are back to the question of whose faith?  To Christians, Paul says it comes only through faith in the spirit of Jesus.  So how does our Christian faith give us any more authority over the matters of others who do not share it?  I think our challenge to help bring peace into the world as Christians is how can we enact the spirit of Jesus without imposing it politically or militaristically.  To do that, we might first learn to see our conflicts as something other than differences between Jews and Gentiles or between Jews and Palestinians.  The great conflict, it seems to me, boils down to a fundamental conflict between sin and faith.  I see it as our inability to express our faith in God through peace and love for our neighbors.  As all of us pray daily for peace in Israel, I hope we can also contribute to the humanitarian relief for innocent civilians on both sides of the conflict as a demonstration of love for all our neighbors.