As the Israel-Hamas War has continued for several months, rising tensions around the world have led to division among colleagues, friends, family members
(RNS) For years, the Telos Group has worked on peacemaking in the Holy Land and imagining a world where Israelis and Palestinians can both flourish. Their work continues despite the war in Gaza. And they've also begun to apply the principles of peacemaking to America’s polarization.
“This line of thinking derives from the pit of Hell. This is Devil-speak. If you want to shout that the Antichrist is coming, I will tell you that He is here and that he is the one who is behind such utter nonsense. To see war and to not only fail to demand peace (which is precisely what Jesus demands of us), but to rejoice because we are somehow seeing the “signs of the times” fulfilled before our eyes is the epitome of satanic thinking.
I’m going to be brief in this post. For one, I’m tired. I am tired because, in addition to everything, I’ve had to wade through and respond to the seemingly endless YouTube sermons, op-eds, and blog posts from Christian pastors and leaders who are preaching that the current war is a clear sign of the end times.I wish I had a magic wand that I could wave and leap 5, 10, or 20 years into the future to show everyone that the present crisis did not in fact lead to the return of Jesus. But even then I’m not sure that would convince people.