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Grace and peace to you,

Over the past days, we have witnessed troubling news of bombings in Iran carried out by the United States and Israeli governments. These actions have been framed as necessary—to eliminate nuclear threats and destabilize an oppressive regime. And yet, as people shaped by the Gospel, we are called to pause, to reflect, and to ask deeper questions.

Jesus teaches us to first remove the log from our own eye before addressing the speck in another’s. That teaching invites humility—especially in moments like this. It reminds us that righteousness is not claimed through force, and that justice cannot be secured through destruction alone.

We must also be honest about this truth: we cannot bomb our way to peace. We cannot destroy our way into democracy. Violence may silence for a moment, but it does not heal. It does not reconcile. It does not restore.

Jesus gives us a different way.

“The measure you give will be the measure you get.” (Matthew 7:2)
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

The Golden Rule is not sentimental—it is profoundly demanding. It calls us to imagine our enemies not as targets, but as neighbors. It calls us to consider the lives disrupted, the families grieving, the fear carried by ordinary people caught in the wake of decisions far beyond their control.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of a vision that still feels far off, yet deeply necessary: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares.” Tools of death transformed into instruments of life.

If we long for a world that is flourishing, life-giving, and whole, then our focus must shift. Not toward greater weapons, but toward deeper compassion. Not toward domination, but toward cultivation—of peace, of justice, of shared humanity.

As followers of Christ, we are called to a different kind of leadership—a cross-shaped leadership. One that does not grasp for power, but pours itself out in love. One that does not conquer through fear, but transforms through sacrifice.

So we pray.

We pray for peace in places torn apart by violence.
We pray for families who are mourning loved ones.
We pray for those living in fear tonight.
We pray for world leaders—that they may be guided not by vengeance or power, but by wisdom, restraint, and a commitment to life.

And we pray for ourselves—that we might not grow numb, or cynical, or indifferent. That we might remain people who believe that another way is possible, because we have seen it in Jesus.

May we be people who embody that way—
in how we speak,
in how we act,
in how we love.

Blessings, 

Pastor Adam