The Terror by Night

I think about the Bible sometimes. When the Internet was cut off in Gaza, and the electricity, I thought about the "terror by night"--the nameless and wordless horrors of the obscured, when the beasts come out after sundown, and you can barely make out the face of friend from foe. The thieves and knives come out at night. 

That terror is called "pachad". It is the terror for one's life. What is also to be feared? The arrow by day. 

That arrow pierces to the quick, because the target is seen. There is nothing done under cover of night that doesn't come out in the daylight.

I worry about people who want to use the Bible about this conflict. A lot of the ancient of days stuff is just outdated, and I don't think it's right that we hear a chant of "Khaybar, Khaybar" in pro-Palestine marches, or references to Simon of Trent. 

When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark. My parents gave me a nightlight, and I read by it. Don't be afraid of the dark. It is a part of understanding things--and you can also read by it. I am mad when I see people ripping down signs of kidnapped Israelis--this is a choice to make something dark and not face the reality that Hamas isn't about liberation. I am mad when I see people shrug at the "collateral damage" of the innocents of Gaza who were "in the way" of the choice by Israel's leaders to rout out Hamas as best they can, now, even while some Israeli protestors want peace. 

Seeing what is going on, all of it, even the uncomfortable parts, is a choice you can make, as well as not closing your mind to what is happening on all sides. And you don't have to demonize people who are not even connected. Bernie Sanders Tweeted about the anniversary of the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue here in Pennsylvania, and social media went dead stupid:

Those people were blameless, and what the hell does this keyboard comrade think Sanders even did wrong here? Is being an elected official in the US the same thing as being pro-genocide because an alliance of the US and Israel exist? What battles are you fighting? What shades in the night? What angels and devils possess your endarkened places? A person going by the nym "Heart Hardener"--like the hardened heart of Pharaoh (not actually an estimable quality in that book!). What the entire fuck?

So here we are, acting out in part on things evolving from a Reformation Age translation of an Iron Age compilation of Bronze Age folklore. Here in the 21st century, with 21st century weapons. as if this way made any sense at all. Reverting to tribalism and settling into demonization of "The Other" and ascribing every fault under the sun and a few that no light ever shone on to the other side, and disavowing the sins of one's own side, even with forensic proofs. 

People are polarized because they think taking sides is their job. How can they not? I take the human side--how can I not? Both sides are fucking up and have been and nothing human happens without admitting it and going forward. That is my side. Israel deserves to exist. Palestinians deserve to exist. Human rights are human rights. We figure out nothing in the maelstrom of war. We need to find a pillar of light to read through this darkness. 

We can't find it in constant obscureness.