Prayer, action and Syria.

The situation is Syria is dire, but it’s a civil war, with two nasty sides. In between, there are women, children, and elderly and the simple. Who die: what used to be called collateral damage and is correctly called a humanitarian crisis. So the Presbyterians in the USA are doing relief runs, and the Pope calls his faithful to pray and fast for peace. Both are needed.

My Church has this to say about this situation.

CWS asks churches to continue to pray for the people of Egypt, Syria, Palestinian and those who are providing shelter to refugees. There are now 1.8 million Syrian refugees and no sign of an end to hostilities. The International Committee of the World Day of Prayer asks members to listen to the voices of the protests on Egypt’s streets. They note the frustration, escalating violence including against women and minorities like Christians and moderate Muslims, discrimination, and the rising living costs. The World Council of Churches is praying for “a peaceful and inclusive transformation” in Egypt’s political systems. Please pray for peace and support the Syria Appeal.

Now, I have some cynicism about the Middle East. I have seen too much manipulation — from manipulating photos to maximize carnage for the TV news (which is one of many reasons I don’t watch the news until the weather forecast is on) to hiding weapons in hospitals, churches and mosques, or using human shields.

And we know that when you bomb a place, people die.

Regardless of this, there is an issue of the refugees — and a need to do good, and live the live we are called to do. Helping Christian World Service (CWS) is good. Praying for the Monks, Nuns and ordinary Christian folk caught in the mess is better.

Philippians 1:12-30

¹²I want you to know, beloved that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, ¹³so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; ¹⁴and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear.

¹⁵Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. ¹⁶These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel; ¹⁷the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment. ¹⁸What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance. ²⁰It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. ²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. ²³I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; ²⁴but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. ²⁵Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, ²⁶so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

²⁷Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. ²⁹For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well — ³⁰since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

There are a few things I am choosing not to care about around this civil war.

1. I’m not really worrying about the capture of my church by the liberals and leftists, and their moves (in rich countries) to make poverty a relative deprivation, not an absolute lack of food and shelter. We have a good social welfare system: our problems exist but are manageable. For at the moment, the non-oil producing parts of the Middle East, apart for Israel and Turkey, cannot afford to feed their people.
2. I’m praying for Catholics and Copts and Orthodox. I’m aware that they consider this Reformed layman to be in error at best, a heretic at worst. But they are the people on the front line. I’m also praying for those missionaries who are in the area, and their families. If Christ is preached, we should all rejoice: doing this in Egypt, Iraq or Syria is to place your life at risk.
3. My church is not without error: to our shame we have a bunch of openly gay ministers — who are not merely with Same sex attraction, but choose to live with their partner and do not follow the  clear rule of the church that all elders must either be in a holy and faithful marriage or holy and celibate singleness. But my church preaches the gospel and does good more often than not, and I remain, because together we can do much, and we need our brothers to correct and encourage us.

And here we need to examine ourselves. Are we living as we ought? Are we doing what we should? Do we influence for good or for evil? It is by the consequences of our life that we are judged, and by our actions that we are praised and damned.. For none of us can stand apart from Christ — and when that witness is silenced, societies implode, as those in the Middle East all to graphically demonstrate to us.