The News has been full of stories on our college campuses. When Hamas attacked Israel it set loose a tsunami of hurt and pain. Israel’s response has devastated Gaza and continued to stress the West Bank. In Israel missiles come from Iran backed militias in neighboring countries.
While bombs have brought much of Gaza to ruins. Thirty-four thousand people have died, an estimated 13,000 of these are children.
The spill over has arrived on our college campuses. Protests have been going on for months. Along with that has been the rise of Antisemitism and Islamophobia, where students do not feel safe. In recent days students protesting the war have been arrested. Memories of the Viet Nam era come back to me.
Inside Higher Ed published an article about the fear so many students are experiencing, titled, “Jewish, Muslim Students Fear Their Views Put Them in Danger.”
It has got to be really difficult to live in the United States today and be either Jewish or Muslim, with both groups feeling vulnerable.
I’m reminded that Jesus blessed the Peacemakers, calling them Children of God. This is a time for building bridges of understanding and compassion, even as a war rages overseas.
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