COATHANGER CHRISTIANITY: Gaza as case study
Over the past fifty years of ministry, I have witnessed the devastation of global conflicts that have destroyed millions of lives and obliterated entire communities. I lived through the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975 with more than two million people killed—its violence justified by some, condemned by others. There was the Yugoslav Wars and the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s that followed. I grieved as the Rwandan Genocide claimed nearly one million lives, and the Second Congo War consumed nearly five million more. The wars in Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen brought equal destruction, as the list of tragedies continued to grow.
What is most heartbreaking is that, despite the lessons history should have taught us, global leaders have learned very little. Even with the founding of institutions such as the United Nations, NATO, the African Union, the European Union, and the International Court of Justice, wars have not ceased. Instead, they have escalated, leaving countless more lives lost.
Today, more than 110 conflicts rage across the globe, with major wars unfolding in Ukraine, Nigeria, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Gaza. In total, roughly fifteen million people have perished in wars over the past half-century. That translates to an average of more than 820 people who died daily over the past 18,250 days because of war – a pursuit for power, a greed for land and a hatred for others
The pressing question is this: how can the relentless cycle of conflict and hatred be broken? Strangely enough, the solution is not found in the pursuit of “truth”—despite what many Christians might assume. History itself bears witness that “truth” has often been the spark that ignited division and war. The answer lies elsewhere. And Jesus insists it hangs, like a garment, suspended on a coathanger.
LET ME EXPLAIN
In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus explains to the religious leaders that ALL the Law (the entire Jewish religious system—all 613 commandments, rituals, and prophetic messages) and ALL the Prophets (all the 92 prophets. Not just the quotable ones like John the Baptist, but also the gloomy ones like Jeremiah and the fiery ones like Amos) ALL HANG precariously on this commandment: LOVE
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour (the good Samaritan, the selfish priest, the sinful prostitute, the despised Roman centurion, the frowned upon LGBTQ community, the liberal Democrats, the Zionist Republicans, the war hungry Jews, the evil Palestinians…) … yes, all of them, love them as yourself.”
And then the punchline: (40) All the Law and the Prophets HANG on these two commandments.”
Notice the words “hang”, not “are built”. The Christian faith, unlike others, is not built on the foundation of truth. Yes, truth is an essential part of what we believe and uncompromisingly important, but it needs to hang on the coat hanger of LOVE. Remove it, and everything else we believe and work for falls to the ground with it.[1]
THE CONTEXT
Jesus did not stand neutral on this issue, and neither should we
This scripture takes place in Jerusalem during a tense exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders. The Pharisees, experts in the Jewish law, were trying to trap him by asking which commandment was the greatest. This was not a neutral question—it was designed to force him into choosing one of the 613 laws over another, which could discredit him in the eyes of the people. We all place some truths more higher than others, and so did they.
In response, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, the Shema, which was central to Jewish faith: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” He then added Leviticus 19:18: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” By pairing these two commands, he showed that devotion to God and care for others are inseparable. But He did more than that. He did not simply told them that these laws are the gold medals of all virtues, he told them that all other laws need to be neatly placed on this hanger for all to see, for without love, no other law can exist. On these laws hang all the others
There is an intentional purpose why Jesus used this analogy:
In essence, Matthew 22:37–40 is Jesus’ radical condensation of the entire biblical law into one relational ethic: wholehearted love for God expressed in tangible love for others. It is both a theological anchor and a practical compass for faith communities.
Hang every other virtue and law on this hanger and you have a remedy to stop wars – starting with the church. Every command, every act of mercy, every truth hangs upon it. The beauty of this analogy is that the coathanger itself – love – is not displayed as a separate entity; it is revealed in the way garments hang on it: when we speak truth, we do so in love. When we endure persecution, we do so by loving our enemies. When we welcome strangers, we do so generously. And when we interpret the law, we base it on dignity.
THE TWO ORIENTATIONS OF FAITH
In the context of this scripture, we find that the religious people of Jesus’s time held on to a misplaced truth. In the same way we find two kinds of Christians in the world today: those who build their faith on the foundation of truth and those who hang their truth on the coathanger of love. This distinction is revealed in how we respond to wars, conflicts, and protests.
FAITH BUILT ON TRUTH is anchored in doctrine, creeds, and clarity of belief. It emphasizes discernment, boundaries, and fidelity to Scripture. All of these are very important. Faith-builders measure love by truth. In public life, truth‑builders instinctively ask: What is right? Who is the perpetrator? What is true? In times of war, they stress moral clarity, naming evil according to their belief, defending their understanding of justice, and calling for accountability. With presidents, they measure policies against biblical standards, often neglecting character flaws and obvious vices. Biblical policies take preference regardless of conduct.
TRUTH HUNG ON LOVE, by contrast, is rooted in compassion, mercy, and relational solidarity. These Christians emphasize empathy, care and a deep sadness for those who suffer. They measure truth by love. In public life, their instinct is to ask: Who is hurting? Who needs healing? Who must be embraced? In war, they stress reconciliation, humanitarian relief, and the dignity of the oppressed. With presidents, they are less concerned about policies but emphasize how they treat the weak, the vulnerable and the voiceless. In protests, they stand with the marginalized, even when the cause is messy, because love compels presence.
GAZA AS CASE STUDY
Nowhere is this more evident than in Gaza today.
TRUTH‑BUILDERS there emphasize biblical clarity: standing in the gap for Israel, naming aggression and condemning terrorism and the evil forces of Hamas. They ask whether actions meet standards of international law. Their witness sounds like: “We must tell the truth about Hamas. If you curse Israel God will curse you. Israel has a right to defend itself.” These declarations are justified by scripture – truth – and built upon a firm belief that Israel is God’s chosen people and denying this will evoke the wrath of God. Truth and fear often walk side by side
LOVE‑HANGERS in Gaza have a different approach. They emphasize humanitarian compassion. They see the suffering of civilians — children, families, displaced communities — regardless of side. They ask who is bleeding, who is hungry, who is homeless, and how Christians can embody mercy. They join relief efforts, advocate for ceasefires, and pray for reconciliation. Their witness sounds like: “We must love the wounded, feed the hungry, and stand with those who mourn.”
These declarations are justified by compassion– love for neighbour – and built upon a firm belief that God is a God of love and that we are all created in His image. Love and reconciliation always walk side by side
THE COLLISION
Truth without love risks becoming harsh, partisan, or blind to human pain. In the same measure, love without truth risks becoming sentimental, naïve, or complicit in injustice.
The Gospel insists on both. In Gaza, that means naming violence honestly and embracing victims compassionately. But truth can and must never exist on its own, it must always be placed on the coathanger of love: Love for God, and love for neighbour
IN SHORT:
Jesus’ original concept was revolutionary—He declared that love is not just the best commandment, but the hanger on which the entire covenant hangs. Without love, the Law collapses into lifeless rules; with love, it fulfills its divine purpose.
Christian maturity is not faith built on truth alone, but truth hanging on the coathanger of love. As Paul writes, we are called to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
[1] 1 Corinthians 13:2 — “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”