Pawns

When I was a child, my mother decided that chess was an essential skill for the development of the mind, so, out came the board, and the lessons commenced. Unfortunately, I was never an apt student of the game. My memories of afternoons spent sparing with my brothers always end with my King face down on the table. The last few days, I have been reading about chess, finding it much more fascinating than I did as a child. In my reading, I have discovered the fatal flaw in my childhood strategy- I never respected my pawns. I always saw the pawn as rather insignificant- one of eight- worth only one point. They were the pieces that were disposable, powerless, and meant to be trampled upon by other, more important pieces on the chess board. But chess masters understand that those who are the least on the board are still essential to the game. A chess blogger explained that pawns define space, create barriers, and can limit the activities of other pieces. They can instigate action by trapping or opening lines for other pieces to play. The 18th century chess master Francois-Andre Philidor argued that the difference between a novice and a master is knowing how to play the pawns well. He wrote: “Pawns are the soul of chess: it is they which determine the attack and the defense, and on their good or bad arrangement depends entirely the winning or losing of the game.” Yet, how fascinating that even those who value their pawns see them as mere pawns in the game, still faceless, just a means to an end.

Gemma Connel, the U.N. team leader in Gaza, described that barren strip of land as a “human chessboard in which thousands of people, displaced many times over, are on the run with no guarantee of a safe destination.” On this chessboard, the kings stay at a safe distance from the battle, while the pawns lay out in the open- disposable, powerless, and often trampled on by other players on the board. Day 1 of this chess match, October 7, 2023, found the first set of disposable pawns north of the border in southern Israel- 1189 lives lost, 250 lives taken hostage. From that day forward, most of the pawns running for their lives can be found south of the border. Often the reporting of this chess match becomes a battle of numbers- the casualties, the dead, the number of women and children. The Gaza Health Ministry and Israeli officials differ in their calculus of the cost of this war measured in human lives, yet the numbers reported from both sides are staggering. Last Saturday, four Israeli hostages were freed and safely returned to their loved ones in Israel. 274 Palestinians lost their lives in the battle that day, most just pawns in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Notice, I use the term “pawn” as I observe the playing of this ‘game’, but the description given by those who are playing the ‘game’ is even more damming. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, commented after the recent rescue mission of the four hostages, that “any civilian death is a tragedy”, but their death is the result of the Hamas strategy. “Hamas is doing everything to keep their people in harm’s way.” Netanyahu argues that loss of civilian lives is unfortunate collateral damage in the battle to protect Israel. One of the hostages freed on Saturday gave her perspective. Mia Schem said, “there are no innocent civilians” in Gaza. Even the elderly, the women and the children are seen as active participants in the war and enemies to Israel. On the other side of the board, Yehiya Sinwar, the shadowy leader of Humas describes the loss of his people as “necessary sacrifices” in the battle for independence. He calls the Palestinians who have died “martyrs” for the cause. Notice, on both sides of the board the people caught in the war are faceless, like pawns in the hands of poor chess players who do not see their individual value in the ‘game.’ Both sides see these pawns as disposable, powerless, and meant to be trampled upon by other, important pieces on the chess board.

Yesterday, the family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of the October 7th American hostages, released a new video from his abduction. Before airing the video, the news broadcaster offered a warning that it would be disturbing. He was right. It was horrifying to watch, but the airing of that video did what it was intended… the world is reminded again of Hersh’s name and his face. He is no longer a mere pawn, but now a valuable piece on the board, worthy of our concern, worthy of his government’s continued efforts to free him. The families of the hostages have worked hard over the last nine months to keep the names and faces of their loved ones in front of our eyes, so that we will not forget them. I wonder how many children in Gaza die for want of a champion who can give their face and name international attention. Too often we are swept along in the tide of numbers of loss so great that it is inconceivable. It is easier for our hearts to leave the ‘pawns’ faceless. But Pope Francis appeals to our faith. In a strongly worded message given from the Vatican, the Pope describes the war in Gaza as an “appalling harvest of civilians.” He describes the children dying in wars as the “little Jesuses of today.” Pope Francis wants to remind the world of the humanity of all the players on the board- an inconvenient truth, but truth, nonetheless. Jesus said, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.” Imagine if we saw the face of Jesus on the little ones caught in this war.

With you on my knees for the world God so loves,
Anita