Saddest photo in the blogosphere

This picture makes me sad - it shows everything that's wrong with religion. It's a young Jewish man with his prayer shawl, saying his prayer in front of a tank that is likely soon to shoot at other people with their own prayer clothes on who in turn are in front of their weapons getting ready to shoot at other people in their prayer shawls . . . . .

It makes it especially hard to see having been in Israel less than a year ago. I led a delegation there with 17 church leaders from the Seattle area and we came to know many Palestinians and Jews. The differences are drawn so sharply, but they're both beautiful peoples. There is so much hatred, though, and so much sadness.

So I pray for the praying man who will shoot at the praying man who will shoot back at the praying man . . . .