Seder blessing

 Sunday March 31^st, Isaiah 65: 17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. For the people of Jerusalem who were rebuilding the temple after the Babylon captivity, this was good news.  The message brought hope.  It soon turned however to the same old same old.  Today, 2500 years later we are still waiting for Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.  And we, the rest of the world community, must ask ourselves, what part we play in the continuing tragic displays of inhumanity and violence in this region of the world.  As we once again start the talks to move toward peace, we remember that last time we were here.  Following what seemed like hopeful negotiations, the Israeli government flipped the U.S the bird and announced continued building in Palestinian territories, forcing the Palestinian families out of their homes to do so.  At that same time, Israel completed a $30 billion arms deal arranged with the Bush administration in the last days of his presidency.  We will see if the Obama administration makes the same mistakes.  But make no mistake, not all the blame falls on the Israelis, were either major group of Palestinians in charge, though the players might change, the game would be the same.  Throughout the scriptures there is God's dream that Jerusalem would be a delight and its people a joy.  Money, Power, Politics and human hatred, perpetuated by arms deals, looking the other way, as well as the rhetoric of holocaust denial and vows to wipe Israel off the face of the map by the current leadership in Iran and others continue to work against the God of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael and Jacob and Esau.  We all continue to work against the God we worship through Christ, in Allah and in YHWH.  What we are at war with mostly is the desire to play god, to eat of the tree, and to feel mighty having beaten up another kid in the play yard, never noticing the tears streaming down our Fathers face.  Father, forgive us, even though I am quite sure we are fully aware of what we are doing.  Open our eyes to your grace as we recognize you in the breaking of the bread with one another.  We continue to want to break heads, but Jesus calls us to break bread and reminds us that all war is fratricide.  It is only in the breaking of bread together, recognizing in one another our brother and sister that we can truly see our God, no matter what name we use.  At this year’s Seder, where we usually close with "next year Jerusalem" let us close with, "next year, may there be peace in Jerusalem, Judea and on to the ends of the earth.