Is Jesus weeping at Gaza?

Children left with one option to WEEP. 

My eyes were drenched with tears when saw a photo of a helpless woman squatting on the debris of her house, in which her family members were killed. A river of tears was flowing from her wearied and hopeless eyes. Her hope is shattered by the bombs and shelling. I was wondering where would she go after all this bloody ordeal? Clearly, she has no house, no family, no money, and no food; has she got any hope left?

It is said, ‘you laugh and the whole world will laugh with you; you cry and you will be crying alone.’ We have been disturbed at the gruesome and bloody attacks along the Gaza strip for a lame reason of protecting the civilians. I have been made to think that there is no value for life of another human person, and that is why both Hamas and the Israeli forces refuse to agree for truce along the borders. It is disheartening to see the pictures of bloodied innocent people lay lifeless on the rubbles created by heavy bombing by the militants. It is disheartening to see a lonely woman, man or a child squatting helplessly on the debris of their own homes. It is disheartening to hear that militants have bombed the school resulting in killing scores of children. It is disheartening to hear that priest, nuns and Catholic community are being asked to vacate the Gaza city. It is disheartening to hear that mosque has been bombed along the Gaza strip. It is disheartening to hear the number of dead in the last twenty days. It is disheartening to hear that families have lost their beloved children, wife, husbands, grand parents, sisters, brothers and so on. Where can they go to get help and a warm hug of love and peace? Can they get a empathetic hug on the battle ground? Why are we fighting, to kill our own people? Israeli forces are on the hunt for the militants and their tunnels. In this hunt for liberty innocent shed their blood. Is there a peaceful solution, is the jargon of the most international communities.

Honestly speaking, we are helpless just like the people of Gaza and West Bank who sit on the debris of their homes and weep. Weeping is the only option left for these people. We are also left with that option to weep until peace is restored in these areas. One of the persons who had lost his home in the bombing was standing on the rubbles with a faint voice, ‘I have lost everything, where can I go now?’ True, where can he and his family go? Can the militants or Israelis give him shelter or help him to build himself again? This is a daunting question that whizzes my mind every time when I hear the cry of the innocent.

At the audience on Sunday Pope Francis uttered those heart squeezing words, ‘please stop! Enough with all these child deaths!’ Emotionally drained Pope could not hold his tears as he uttered these words, which was evident under his spectacles as it was shown on the giant screen at the Peter’s Square in Rome. Pope wept. He wept at the atrocities and violence done at the innocent people. As we have known from the media that 73% of the people killed are civilians. This is because the civilians live along this war prone area of Gaza and West Bank. Pope also appealed to the people and their leaders to take a path of peace over violence. Violence can be overcome with peace and not violence with violence. It is no more eye for eye or tooth for tooth. It is true that the perpetrators and their followers do not experience the pain of being killed or lost; hence they keep promoting this violence without any human concern. Can God enlighten these people? When every human effort fails the only option left for us is God. We can humbly implore God to embrace this land where blood flows in the streets.

Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Jesus was obviously emotional and moved with empathy to Martha and Mary at the death of their brother. But Jesus did not stop at weeping; rather he consoles the sisters by giving life to Lazarus. People in warzone have not choice left then to weep. Their tears have no impact on the perpetrators hence tears roll down into their wonderful land, which is now a weary and dreadful place. What choice we have as we watch or witness the live bloodshed? I think we are also left with a choice to weep and hope that one day God will restore peace in this land.