How do we hold on to hope as the Middle East conflict persists? 

October 2024

Against a backdrop of prolonged and escalating conflict in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon, it is hard not to feel overwhelmed by the violence and suffering. Over the past year, we have seen innocent lives lost and communities shattered. Our partners in the region continue to serve faithfully – yet, despite our prayers for peace, the situation is spiralling downwards and peace seems ever more distant.  

As the conflict and violence persists, how can we continue to trust in God? And how can we be steadfast in prayer, even when circumstances appear hopeless? 

Trusting God despite seemingly unanswered prayer is one of the greatest challenges in our Christian walks. We pray, we ask, we plead, we wait – and the longed-for response seems absent. But this is not a new struggle for God’s people; we see this pattern play out in the Psalms, we hear it in the cries of the prophets, and we even confront it in the life of Jesus himself. 

The Psalms are full of examples of people pouring out their hearts in frustration and despair. Psalm 13 opens with a cry: “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (v1). This expression of abandonment may resonate with those of us who have prayed faithfully and yet seen no immediate response. Yet the psalmist does not stop at lament. He continues: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5). Even when faced with silence, the psalmist holds on to hope, resting in the assurance of God’s unfailing love. 

Meanwhile, the prophet Habakkuk cried out: “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2). This cry strikes a chord in our hearts today. Yet God responded to the prophet not by removing the suffering but by calling him to a deeper trust in his purposes: “The righteous person will live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). We too are gently invited to trust that God is present, even amid chaos and conflict, and that he weeps with those who suffer. 

And then there is the example of Jesus himself. In the Garden of Gethsemane, anticipating the agony that awaited him, he prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (Matthew 26:39). Yet the cup was not removed. Jesus’ heart-cry in that moment was not answered in the way any person would desire. But even in that moment, he trusted his Father, saying, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  

In this broken world, we are not promised a life of ease. Neither is prayer something that is formulaic. In his infinite wisdom as a relational being, God has chosen to work through humans and bring about his purposes through our prayers and actions. This often requires taking a long view and choosing to persist in prayer each day – not an easy thing in a world where we are used to instant gratification. 

Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s will, grounding us in hope – even when answers seem distant. Prayer is also a form of resistance to evil, reminding us that things are not as they should be and marking a refusal to accept things as they are. And prayer sustains our compassion, fuels our perseverance for justice, and reminds us that God is present – even in the darkest moments. 

Back in July, as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah increased, one of our Lebanese partners wrote:

‘Though it is not always easy, we have seen how God works amid darkness and destruction to bring about good. In these times of tribulation, we trust that he continues to stand with us, works with us and through us to achieve his will.’ 

Let us stand with our partners, holding onto the hope that one day God’s kingdom of peace will come. Let us continue to pray unabated for those affected by the war in the Middle East, trusting that God can bring healing and reconciliation in ways that transcend our understanding. And let us continue calling for justice and peace, knowing that this is God’s will. 

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