We stand appalled and helpless before the enormity of the rapid escalation of unspeakable violence in the Holy Land. We’ve been shocked to witness the biblical barbarism of the Hamas slaughter of Israeli civilians in the settlements of southern Israel. Hamas’ actions display a deliberate barbarism born of a religious fanaticism that despises life – any life – in this world in preference to the promise of paradise in the next. Of course there is a political calculation in Hamas’ actions – to scupper any path forward for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors in the region.

In slow motion we now watch the 21^st century revenge of a traumatized Israel – reeling after the revival of Jewish collective memories of helplessness in the face of genocidal attack. That such a thing could happen within the borders of Israel is particularly painful. Israel, the one country where Jews hoped to be safe.

The victims of Hamas’ fighters were not the ultra-militant residents of the illegal settlements on the West Bank that everyday devour more and more Palestinian land and vital water resources. Thomas Friedman in his NY Times opinion piece Israel Has Never needed to be smarter than in this moment –quotes the Israeli writer Ari Shavit: “These were the homes of the people of pre-1967 Israel, democratic Israel, liberal Israel — living in peaceful kibbutzim or going to a life-loving disco party,” For Hamas, “Israel’s mere existence is a provocation”.

Amidst the deluge of commentary and opinion on the current crisis I found  Yossi Klein Halevi’s The Reckoning in The Atlantic to be most insightful. He notes that Israel must grapple first with its enemies, and then with the failures of its own government. He writes:  Israel faces two very different reckonings. The first is with our enemies. Until now, Netanyahu and his right-wing allies viewed Hamas as a kind of strategic asset: so long as it was in power in Gaza, a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was impossible. For that reason, in addition to effectively bribing Hamas to refrain from attacking Israel, Netanyahu allowed massive infusions of cash from Qatar to prop up the Hamas government.

Thomas Friedman articulates the challenge facing Israel now – which is to act in its own best long-term interests and not fall into the trap of doing what Hamas and Iran dearly want it to do. As Americans now recognize in the decades after 9/11, revenge is a path that leads only to a cycle of ever diminishing return.

In grappling with its enemies, we now must bear witness to the execution of Israel’s rage upon Hamas resulting in the collateral deaths of thousands in Gaza. History attests that in Israel after the current war emergency is over there will be a terrible reckoning for the politicians who have exploited intercommunal (Israeli-Palestinian) and intracultural (Israeli culture war) tensions that gravely endangered the cohesion and security of the nation. For the citizens of Gaza, no such future reckoning awaits. At best the leaders of Hamas will either be killed or escape into exile – never having to answer for their crimes against their own people. The Gaza Palestinians – 60% children – continue to die under a hail of Israeli bombs, while the Hamas terrorist organization hides within a shadow underground city of tunnels and caverns more extensive than London’s Underground Tube system.

So, what are we to do? This is not an inconsequential question as many today look to the latest tweet or social media post for their moral compass settings – no longer able to hold mutually contesting thoughts at the same time. Reducing a spectrum of nuanced grays into blacks and whites offers a kind of solution – and feed the dangerous yearning to take a stand for one side or the other.

Our culture of false moral equivalency has obscured for many a clear-sighted understanding of the fundamental moral question which Ben Wittes Co-Director of the Harvard Law School–Brookings Project on Law and Security has recently articulated so clearly. Wittes tweeted: There are no problems the solutions to which are the intentional murder of civilians. The response of many to his tweet was a yes, but – a continuation of the what about-ism response. No matter the context of oppression – the genuine grievances of the oppressed and the genuine fears of the oppressors – the solution never justifies the political murder of civilians. That as a culture we can no longer agree on this basic moral premise – is cause for great concern.

What can we do? Ultimately, what we can do is to categorically affirm – that is – without qualification or exception – the fundamental moral principle that There are no problems the solutions to which are the intentional murder of civilians. Agreement on this principle provides us with a road map for action.

In this week’s E-News I encouraged us to support the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem AFEDJ appeal for the a-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. A-Ahli is a health care institution within the wider Episcopal-Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem’s healthcare ministry to the Palestinians. Like all under resourced medical providers in Gaza, a-Ahli is now completely overwhelmed. The numbers of injured increase exponentially as essential medical supplies, along with the availability of food, water, diesel and electricity alarmingly decrease. Alongside the AFEDJ appeal I also mentioned the American Friends of Magen David Adom AFMDA Israel’s Red Cross organization. As part of the International Red Cross network MDA is prevented from receiving government funding of emergency services. It relies on donor support for the provision of ambulance and emergency response services across Israel.

Alongside finding practical ways to support humanitarian relief we must not overlook the crucial importance of giving spiritual support. Spiritually, our task is to bear witness to the facts of violence and atrocity – facing humanity’s seemingly bottomless capacity for inhumanity without flinching or seeking to explain it away. Our spiritual task is to bear witness to the suffering of the innocent – refusing to justify the causes of their suffering. As Christians, we bear testament to a mystery that might is never right – a mystery concealed in plain sight – from those whose vision is wholly conformed by the power driven zero sum narratives of this world. Facing unflinchingly into the face of violence and refusing to turn our faces away from the suffering of the innocent – is I believe – our most important Christian witness.

Philippi had been a Greek city founded by Alexander’s father, Philip of Macedon. Under the Romans, Philippi had mushroomed into a regional commercial hub through the Roman army’s policy of resettling veterans far away from the incendiary politics of the capital.

Paul had found in Philippi a rich field for sowing his Jesus message. We should not miss in today’s reading reference to the importance and influence that Paul acknowledges of the women working alongside him in his mission work.

Philippians is a Paul love letter. Writing to his friends in Philippi we find him during a period of some personal anxiety. Having journeyed to Rome after appealing the case the Judean authorities had tried to bring against him to the imperial courts. In Rome he waits under house arrest – not knowing if his appeal will lead to his release or a sentence of death. Having already encouraged the Philippians to adopt humility as the model for Christ-centered living, in today’s portion he exhorts his friends with: Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable; if there is excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things – then God’s peace – peace that passes all understanding – will be with you.

What can we do? We can practice the cultivation of truth in the face of lies and misinformation – holding in tension conflicting viewpoints. We can choose honorable action when tempted to take the road of expediency. We can value excellence in a culture where the mediocre will suffice. And in our encounter with anything worthy of praise we can fix our minds there – cultivating a deep attitude of gratitude flowing into generous action. We can cherish love and commend justice – and in so doing open ourselves to the counsel of our better angels. We can fervently pray for peace to come and work for justice to be done.

How easily our prayers for peace and justice trip off our tongues. We pray earnestly for peace as a cessation of conflict while ignoring the denial of justice. As we are forced to currently bear witness to – peace without justice is merely the suspension of hostilities.

Peace is the fruit of hard love and justice is the hard doing of love. Peace and justice are indivisible and their causes inseparable. As 70 years of turbulence in the Holy Land bear witness – justice denied means the absence of peace! The world continues to burn and the need for us is to base our attitudes, decisions, and action upon a fundamental moral principle – only grows more urgent.