Faith and foreign policy

Because of my faith, I am inclined to believe that the United States' involvement with the goings on in the Middle East is total interference. The Lord demands fairness in every business deal. He established this principle in Proverbs 16:11. Naming a country as a terrorist and another as defending their sovereignty is not exactly fair. In Genesis 12, God designated that the land of Israel should be given to Abraham and his descendants. Abraham's descendants are those of Muslim, Jewish and Christian background. Then Matthew 7 says, "Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with measure you use, it will be measured to you." Why should the United States judge who is rightfully the "owner" of a particular piece of land? Why should we judge who is a terrorist and who is a freedom fighter? Why should we judge which nation should be considered sovereign and which nation should not be considered sovereign?

I struggle with these questions as both a Christian and an American. Luke 21 tells us, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." The creator is the one who will judge, and the creator is not just the creator of the Christians, but also of the Muslims, the people of Judah, the Buddhists, the Zionists, the Jains, the Sikhs, the Taoists, and all others who inhabit our world.

Today there is a serious battle for the land of Gaza. Terrorism is used for political gain. Whether or not there is an issue between two groups, there is a serious issue about civilians who are being killed. Blacklisting a country and labeling a group as affiliated with terrorists only means that we (the U.S.) are giving encouragement to these negative actions, where civilians are killed, homes destroyed, and families shattered. Abraham stands up to God before the desecration of Sodom and Gomorrah in scripture with these words: "That wouldn't be right! Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, to kill the godly with the wicked! Why, you would be treating godly and wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth be fair?" Abraham is like many of us in this case: he does not understand why God would do such a horrible thing to mankind. He wants to give the benefit of the doubt to the people of Sodom and convince God to spare them for the sake of the good people.

I would not wish suffering upon an entire people, even if it meant cleaning up the few rotten apples in the bunch. But now, thousands of years later, why shouldn't this scripture apply to our interactions with other nations? The Bible often portrays the meaning behind the words vaguely, and with countless translations it's difficult to be sure. But maybe we can remember Abraham's words and consider the underlying message, to live and let live. With them in mind, we can more easily keep our calm and carry on. Otherwise it will be only a matter of time until the chaos reaches our shores.