Gaza (MNN) -- Nearly 64,900 Palestinians have died in the Israel-Hamas war, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. On Tuesday, a United Nations inquiry announced its conclusion that Israel's war on Gaza is a genocide. Israeli leaders have declared that this is not true.
The nearly two-year war is only one of many current events dividing people across the world.
"We are so polarized. 'If you are not 100% with me, then you are 200% against me,'" says Fadi Sharaiha with the MENA Leadership Center. "This is not right. We need to talk. We need to discuss."
How should the global Church respond to events in Gaza? Sharaiha first acknowledges the evil in this war. Neither side is innocent. People are dying on both sides, and Hamas still holds 48 hostages.
"In the midst of the whole evil that is around us, I believe that God is still worthy of all the blessings and all the glory," he says.
"I [also] want to acknowledge the need for us to go back to the basics and remember what Jesus said about peacemakers: 'Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.' We are called to love our enemies."
Sharaiha says believers don't have to understand every aspect of the war in order to respond the right way. He studied the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine at the United Nations University. Even after receiving lectures from different leaders, not everything was clear to him.
"But you need to get the Bible. You need to get 'Who are we? What is our identity?' We are called to be peacemakers. We are called to love our enemies," he says.
Talking about peace is premature in the midst of active war. But one day, people with great wisdom will have to begin that restorative work.
"The governments right now are really calling on both Israel to stop, and Hamas to surrender the hostages and surrender their weapons," he says.
Even when the fighting ends, a different battle will continue in people's hearts.
"I am very concerned about people dying today, but also I'm concerned about the one who did not die, next year," Sharaiha says. "They will be filled with so much hatred, agony, trauma. That's why we need to make sure that we are preaching Jesus to those people."
In the complexities of the Israel-Hamas war, please pray that the Church will be a peacemaker. Pray that the gospel of peace in Christ will reach more people in Gaza and Israel. Pray for the MENA Leadership Center, as it plans training courses that will one day equip leaders for trauma healing and refugee ministry.