Paula R. Stern – A Message to Israel and France
The first rule in writing is to know your audience. Without that important information firmly planted in your brain, you are likely to misdirect and therefore fail to achieve your goal…that’s if you have a goal beyond the simple need to express your thoughts. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.
Today, I have a goal but my “audience” regularly is a bit different than my target and yet, I’ll share my thoughts here anyway.
I have a message for the French – I’ll post that below. I also have a message for Israelis…and this is it:
Yes, they should and they don’t.
No, I don’t understand why they don’t and yes, it’s pretty obvious that they should.
No, I don’t believe they will change today because of yesterday.
But…but when human beings are in pain, it is our job to reach out and offer them the comfort we can and to share in their sorrow…
And yes, there is a part of me that wants to ask where they were when I cried, when my world shook and seemed so dark.
but…but when human beings are in pain, it is our job to reach out and offer them the comfort we can…
And deep down, in silence and between ourselves, we are allowed to ask when they will share in our sorrow, our pain…
But right now, human beings are in pain and my heart aches for them so deeply, and the tears fall from my eyes this morning because human beings…it doesn’t matter what religion, it doesn’t matter their nationality. It doesn’t matter the color of their skin…it doesn’t even matter if they have or will share in our sorrow in the future. For now, share the message that we who know terrorism, know the pain of loss, we mourn with you. As simple as that. Leave the “but…” off for now. They are in too much pain to hear it and it isn’t like we haven’t tried so many times in the past to make them see.
And now, a message for France:
Don’t let the anger consume you. Today, the sun rose over your beautiful country, as it did over mine. Today, you are free in a way that they never will be. You have the capacity to celebrate life; something they don’t. Life is your ally, hate and death is theirs.
Today, the pain will consume you, the anger choke you. Years later, you will remember where you were when this happened, what you were doing. Stop at this horrible moment and look around you. See who cries with you; remember who celebrates your agony.
Israel shares your sorrow. Deep down inside, we want to ask why you don’t seem to share in ours, but We won’t right now because your pain is all-consuming, and we feel it from here. They were innocent people; families out celebrating. They did nothing wrong. It doesn’t matter why they were walking there or where they live.
If they lived in Paris and not Nice, would that change the horror? If they came all the way from Jerusalem or London or New York, would that justify killing them?
What you know in your heart right now, you have to remember after the shock fades, after life returns, as it always does, to normal. There is no justification for terror – no matter where the girl’s bedroom was, no matter where the father was driving, no matter what avenue they chose to walk down to celebrate on what should have been a wonderful day in France.From New York to Washington to Jerusalem to London. From Tel Aviv to Kiryat Arba to Otniel to Afula. From Brussels to Madrid to Bali to Istanbul and now to Nice. There is no justification for terrorism. It isn’t about the occupation; it isn’t about God. It isn’t about some perceived injustice; and it isn’t about finding a path to peace.
It honestly doesn’t matter what it is about. All that matters is that 80 people were murdered last night, hundreds wounded and terrorized. All that matters is that today, Israel and people around the world share in your sorrow.
Today, there are only two groups of people in the entire world. Those that mourn, and those that celebrate. France, open your eyes and see these groups. Europe, take notice. America, remember.
Israel shares in your sorrow and we pray for the speedy recovery of all those who were hurt.
France, we mourn with you. We feel your pain to the depths of our souls. May God send you comfort in these horrible hours.
