Kippah and Turban

Dear COAH,

A photo posted on the Internet caught my eye. Two boys walk shoulder to shoulder, one a Palestinian boy and the other an Israeli boy. My heart aches. Two boys, no more than ten years old, walk down the street together, smiling brightly and having a warm conversation. The conversation has nothing to do with their parents' thoughts. It is not about territorial separation or dividing walls, nor is it about historic resentment or injustice.

Their wardrobes catch my eye. I am sure it was not their choice. The Kippah on a Jewish boy's head is to hide his head as an expression of fearing God. The turban worn by the Palestinian boy is traditional clothing for Arabs to protect their head from the hot sunlight. Two boys from two different cultures, abiding by the traditions and customs passed down from their parents and grandparents, would instead dress like their favorite soccer club or a famous singer if they had the choice.

Unfortunately, the unresolved political problems from the previous generations continue to affect the current generation. Even though they live close to each other, they learn to live as enemies.

Like the prayer of Psalm 67, we should pray for all peoples to come together and praise God, Jews, Palestinians, and all. Let's pray for the current conflict to end soon so that Israeli and Palestinian boys can join hands and dream their future together. May the gospel of Jesus Christ prevail in the Gaza Strip and the land of Israel.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Eph. 2:14-16)

Blessings,

Pastor Minho Song