The first casualty of war

About the growing conflict in the Middle East: 

There is an old saying that the first casualty of war is the truth. If truth is the first casualty, it doesn't fall alone. Some other early casualties are peace-of-mind, the willingness to believe that other people are decent even if they have ties to either side / the other side / both sides / neither side, the willingness to give people the benefit of the doubt, and some curiosity about why some people see things differently. The Ten Commandments definitely get broken a fair few times if we judge our neighbors too quickly. There is a temptation to listen -- and repeat -- when we may not know the facts for ourselves. We may find ourselves bearing false tales, or bearing false witness against others, or having false witness borne against us in turn. 

I think that praying for our enemies has a special relevance when there are wars and rumors of war. Any side may fall to the temptation to tell only their own side, see only their own side. May there be peace and justice in our time. Peace does not come from retaliation or escalation, or even from annihilating the opposition. Peace needs to be built, and building peace takes understanding and compassion. Where those are in short supply, let the faithful speak faithfully.