The Journey 324

Read: Mathew 2: 16-18       The world is watching in horror the ongoing war between Israelis and Hamas. It is seven days now since both Israelite's forces and Palestinians have been bombarding each other with explosives leaving more than 1300 dead. Israel had launched air strikes in response to successive days of rocket fire coming out Gaza and in one of the air strikes they have killed the military chief of Hamas Ahmad Al Jabari and this has incensed the Hamas that they have declared that with the assassination of Jabari, gates of hell has been opened. Thus with the war getting intense each day and casualties on the rise, the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is heading towards Israel and Egypt to find some sort of solution to this brutal war where common people from both sides are the casualties. What the world could not forget these days was the moving image of man holding dead body of his child. This image was first  published by Associated Press and later in Washington Post. The story behind this chilling image revolves around a family who is facing their biggest tragedy of their life.  The man in the picture is Jihad Misharawi who is carrying the dead body of his 11 month old son, who was killed in the Israeli air strike. What is painful of this tragedy is that Jihad Misharawi is the BBC Arabic correspondent who lives in Gaza and he was the correspondent covering the news item on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas forces. According to BBC news agencies, even Misharawi’s sister in law has been killed while his brother is also seriously wounded and thus the whole fraternity of news reporters in Middle east are experiencing deep throes of pain and agony at what their colleague is going through. BBC has acknowledged that they are fortunate to have such committed and courageous team of correspondents like Jihad Misharawi, who face unforeseen challenges like these. The tragedy that has befallen on Misharawi is most painful and unfortunate, but more unfortunate are countless people, the old, infirm and young children who are the major casualties of war or any other form of violence. One of the painful fact that we all forget is that whenever there is any form of strife, war or other violent activities, it is the innocents who suffer. Even when there is a strife at home or the church or anywhere, the casualties are seen more on the children. War and other violent activities happen when each side feels that they need to settle scores on the other, but often forgetting the fact ultimately when one tends to feel victorious,  joy that you get in victory is nothing compared to the huge colossal loss and pain that each side goes through and suffers at the loss of human life. Hence a decision that we shall do anything in our life, both personal, family or in society, that will cause innocents to suffer. In the Bible we see of a King who was blinded by power that he declared a sadistic war which killed not the young and healthy people but new born kids, all because he was driven by a extreme lust for power and authority.
                We are meditating on the theme “Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Mathew 2: 16-18. This is the horrendous incident of King Herod killing the innocents. The background of this sadistic act is that Herod is conveyed a news by wise men that king of the Jews has been born in Bethlehem and they are seeking and searching him. The news of the birth of this particular infant who will be the king of the Jews evokes strong reaction in Herod.  He is greatly troubled and the birth of a child has brought in him extreme mental anguish. He calls his counsel and inquires about the birth of the king  and cunningly sends wise men on their way with a request that if they find they baby who is supposed to be the king,  he needs to be informed so that he could also come and worship the king.  The wise men continue their journey and they are directed to the place where Jesus was born and they worship baby Jesus.  But then they are warned in a dream that they should not return in the same route that they came, not to go to Herod and hence they take another way on their return journey. Herod understands later that he has been deceived by the wise men and he lets all his anger and frustration loose, just as the Hamas spokesperson said “ all the hell was let loose”. But who were casualties in the sadistic act of Herod. All the new born children who were born in an around Bethlehem. The act of soldiers going and searching through each houses and then snatching the child from the arms of the mother and brutally murdering those innocents children cannot even be fathomed. Many historians like Josephus and others have written graphic description of how these murders took place and pain that the mothers have gone through seeing their new born child getting killed in front of their own eyes. What is happening here is that a king blinded by power, wants to cling on to power, thinks more about his personal interest and position. He has no qualms to kill even innocent children if it paves way for him to rule for ever. In today’s world we may feign innocence and ignorance that we dont involve in war or participate in violent activities. But let examine the situation that sometimes happen in our home in our church, where there can be war of words and abuse, which often leads to physical abuse. In all such situation too, it is the children in the family and in the church who are the casualties. The day we realize that we will not do anything that will harm the interest of the next generation or take a deliberate effort, that whatever be the case of injustice to us, we will never act or retaliate which makes the innocents suffer and thus making our future world free from bitterness and anguish.


Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla