Most of us probably know Star Wars. We might think of the science fiction epic
created by George Lucas in the 1970s, or the missile defense system proposed in
the US in the 1980s. When we hear “satellite
wars” we might imagine satellites in space waging war in the heavens or launching
attacks upon earth.
I envision a different kind of
conflict. Presently it is a war of
words, rhetoric, and ideologies revolving around the place of ascent. A man, a woman, and her children surrounded
by a number of nations. Some are Moslem,
others Christian, others are secular, and some are even communist. Some, though not all, are of good will. In Syria, Turkish
President Erdogan appears to have a hand in the new Waqf council that rules
over the mount. Ismail
Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, speaks out concerning the hill. King
Abdullah II of Jordan is a supporter of the Waqf Islamic Trust, which
oversees the palisade. Pope Francis visited
the Dome of the Rock on the esplanade in 2014 with Sheik Omar Abboud and
Rabbi Abrahan Skorka who are friends of the pope from Argentina and traveled
with him on his visit to the Middle East.
During the visit Francis called for “respect and love” among the
Abrahamic religions as “brothers and sisters.”
Russian
President Putin has visited Israel several times and expressed his
solidarity with the sacred space. President Trump visited the Western Wall
during a portion of his visit to Jerusalem in 2017. Although he has made it clear that he
supports Israel, recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and has moved
the US Embassy to Jerusalem, the president has not made public his position on
the high point. Prime Minister Netanyahu
acknowledges the importance of the Temple
Mount to the peoples of three monotheistic religions, but has made it clear
that he upholds the
Status Quo. *
So there are presently a number of
leaders who extend a line of influence toward the Temple Mount. These satellites of nations encompass the Old
City of Jerusalem. In the coming days it
will be eventful on the mount. Prayerfully,
I ask that all will be able to live peaceful and godly lives in Jerusalem. When I visited the old city in 2017, I
experienced a sign. Literally, I saw it
and I heard it. On the wall was a saying
in three languages (Hebrew, Arabic, and English).
When I entered this man greeted me “Peace.”
I walked away realizing that one day
God will fulfill his promise of Peace.
God’s Peace (Hag 2:9)
No comments:
Post a Comment