We all know that Israel and the militant organization Hamas, are fighting, and seem to be going to war. If this escalates, there is potential for terrible things, in the world. We could all feel the effects. We already feel the effects, if we follow the news. The media is treating this like something big, and putting it in the headlines.

Before I give you my shallow analysis of events in the Middle East, I must give a disclaimer: I am not writing as a military analyst, and I am not writing as a political analyst. If I get into those areas, send me your opinions, and we can have an online coffee conversation.

I am writing as a Christian, and I think there are some things we should know. Information is gold. Pretending to believe because I told you to, is modern culture. You know, we have an array of received orthodoxy, things we just have to believe because they are politically correct. I call it ‘just nod and say yes’ culture.

I think our modern societies are filled with pretend believers, who don’t want a reaction if they openly disagree.

So, I hope you can find something useful here, as you make your way through life. All I can give is information, and maybe a small amount of advice.

Also, if anyone noticed, this article was published a few days late on my schedule. This is because I was sick. Who knew a bad cold could take away so much energy. As I write this, I have some laryngitis, but this is not a podcast, so let’s analyze the Middle East:

I was in Israel, as a tourist, when I was young. I did not visit Gaza, it was not a tourist destination. Israel is a modern country that we can learn about and visit easily.

Gaza is a small place, formerly known as the Gaza Strip. It is on the edge of a desert, and it has a large population, and very few resources.

Israel has at least one of the most sophisticated military organizations in the world; they don’t lose fights. Gaza is governed by Hamas, a militant organization. They seem to have great enthusiasm, but the outcome of a war with Israel can only have one conclusion.

So, what are we missing? Why is this one-sided contest happening?

Most analyses miss one thing:

Theology.

Many people writing the news are secular and not openly religious in their work. Call that a conspiracy theory, but I think it’s true, We easily miss the religious drivers in Arab and Israeli disagreements.

So, let’s learn:

Israel is officially a secular state, and there don’t seem to be religious statements about the conflict with Hamas. However, we should ask why the modern state of Israel exists. Why would all those prosperous, middle-class people, give up their homes and bright futures, to live in a small place, in the dangerous Middle East?

The move to Israel only makes sense if we believe that God wants it. The pure human logic is not strong.

Even secular Israelis know about these words:

“On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” (Genesis 15: 18)

• READ: Promised Land/Wikipedia

Why fight for something if God is not in it?

And then we have Hamas, a fundamentalist religious organization, within the religion of Islam. Their theology is important.

In the history of Islam, there is a concept of the “Dar es Salaam.” That is also a city in East Africa with that name, and yes, I have been there, and it’s nice, but the original concept is more complicated.

Arab Muslims traded with East Africa, in history, and they gave the city that Arabic name. Possibly that was a statement, like raising a flag on the shore. They might have been claiming East Africa for Islam.

The name was translated to me as “The Land of Peace.” There was a concept, in Islam, that they were a liberating force in the world. That is very fundamental.

As the early Islamic armies expanded, the conquered territories were called the Land of Peace. That religious enthusiasm is something we can understand. The Communists, in more modern times, had “Liberated Zones” and life was supposed to be better there. The concepts are similar.

There is a clash, in Israel and Gaza, of religious values. There is a belief that God wants the Jews to return to their promised land of Israel.

On the other side, there is a strong and fundamental belief that “Dar es Salaam” can only be governed by Muslims, and Israel is an unwanted intrusion.

It’s a question of whose promise wins, and these promises are powerful motivators.

That might explain some of the enthusiasm for the fight when victory seems impossible.

Also, we should know, that conflicts with Israel and some of its neighbors have strong theological, religious, and even spiritual drivers. It is important to know those hidden dimensions when we read the news. There are invisible drivers that increase the intensity. We need to look higher, and we need to see our promises. That’s my advice:

“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isiah 40:26)