The Hazards of Speaking Up for Palestine

Security Barrier between Israel and West Bank/Palestine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve told my story before, how I grew up unreservedly Christian in the United States and accepted the importance of Israel in our (Christian) lineage and prophecy.

When I met a Nazi prison camp survivor during my college years, I was overcome with emotion. He was sitting across from me at a “dish-to-pass” we held each week at the Messianic congregation I attended in Philadelphia.

These were the years when the JDL (Jewish Defense League) was threatening to attack Messianic congregations in Philadelphia. Each Sunday, as we worshiped in our little storefront building on Chestnut Street, danger was palpable.  Heads would cautiously turn towards the front door each time it opened during the sermon, wondering what to expect.

I counted it a privilege and honor to be a part of my Jewish friends’ suffering for their rights to worship as they wished.

For years, I never questioned my high view of Israel. Meeting a Jewish person was, for me, like meeting a celebrity, because they were “God’s Chosen”.

The first time I realized others in the world didn’t support Israel in the same way that Americans did was in Indonesia. A good friend asked us why America always sided politically with Israel against the Arab world.

I hadn’t realized there were sides.

This was the first step in my education which continued as we traveled across the world and then returned home to host international students who held very different opinions from traditional American views.

This was especially clear as we discussed international issues with our Arab students, especially the one from Palestine.

We selected Ahmed because he listed his home as the “West Bank“, and we wanted to learn about him.

His stories were wildly different from the beatific scenes we associated with Israel. Were they possibly true? We began to read up on this area and ask questions. One book was unforgettable, “Blood Brothers”, by Brother Elias Chacour.   http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Brothers-Dramatic-Palestinian-Christian/dp/0800793218

Blogs were written about life in Israel contrasting it with the very poor conditions behind a wall separating it from the West Bank/Palestine.

I wanted to see for myself, so Jon and I took several trips to visit our Palestinian students, and then met Palestinian Christians who told the same stories about Israeli abuses.

When one is meeting a diverse (Christian, Muslim, educated, working class) group of people and all writers from that area are telling similar stories you cannot afford to dismiss their story lines as fantasy.

So, I resolved to return home as an advocate for the Palestinians to tell their stories. I am not

Bantustans, Palestine 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

anti-Israeli, but I will not cover up what they do.

It hasn’t been popular to speak up for Palestinians, but I’ve had it easy.

Others, like Steven Sizer, who has a prominent place in the UK, has his way of life threatened.

Read on:

Stephen Sizer: Craig Murray Responds to anti-Semitism Allegations.

“The Most Hated Woman in Israel?”

Read about Haneen Zoabi n the articles and links below.

The Most Hated Woman in Israel – By Larry Derfner | Foreign Policy.

Related articles

• Arab-Israeli politician Haneen Zoabi disqualified from re-election (guardian.co.uk)
• Haneen Zoabi and Her Mission (alethonews.wordpress.com)
• Power to Israel Condemns Zoabi Reprieve (jewishpress.com)

Take Our Movie Poll

. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My birthday is coming up and Jon and I are going to our local theater to see a movie!

I think it will be our first time together in a theater in a year. My gentle husband has decided to boycott the high cost of movies. He doesn’t mind if I go with someone else, but prefers to watch Netflix or DVDs  on TV.

That was OK with me for 2012, but I’ve persuaded him to see one,  hoping that our small theater in Culpeper might charge less for movies than Ithaca, New York.

I’ve been eager to see “Argo” and “Zero Dark Thirty”, but they passed through very quickly, so I’ll have to watch them on the small screen.

We have three in town now. Would you please take this poll

on your favorite film?  Take Poll:

Thanks.

Oxfam project in chaos after secret meeting | The Jewish Chronicle

Protesters at a Freedom for Palestine March (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We have visited OXFAM in Israel/Palestine. Christians and Muslims work there.

Sadly, it seems, Israel is intent on shutting every possible “door”, even aid to the poor, rather than deal with its own internal issues.

Oxfam project in chaos after secret meeting | The Jewish Chronicle.

Related articles

• Palestine: Diary of a historic month (guardian.co.uk)

Chinese Angel

A row of shopping carts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Can I help you with your Groceries?”  a tall, skinny, Asian girl with glasses called from across the parking lot of our local food store.

“Sure”, I called back, as I struggled with heavily loaded green bags, a backache and a budding Migraine!

“My name is Angel”, she said as she loaded the groceries into my car, “you look tired.”

“Yeh, I’m getting a headache,” I told her spotting the booklets in her hands and realizing I was about to be the object of a “witness”, her project.

“Are you selling those?” I nodded towards the pile, hoping to head off her sales pitch, “Who do you represent?”

Turns out she was from the local Seventh Day Adventist College and had been out in the parking lot on this sweltering hot day for several hours. No one had wanted to talk to her.

To be honest, I was so surprised and happy with this random meet up with an international student, I motioned her to walk with me to the shelter of the cart return area.  We leaned against the railing while she showed me her materials.

Then, to my surprise she offered to massage my sore neck and help avert my migraine.  I have seldom refused a neck massage and this parking lot was as good a place as any.

She then asked if she could “adjust” my neck. Migraines and achy backs lower my defenses, I willingly submitted.

“You’re a bit tense,” she told me.

“Well, you’re not really a Doctor,” I answered.

“Oh, but my mother is a Doctor back in China,” she told me with great confidence.

My chuckle must have relaxed me enough for her adjustment to succeed, and I felt better.

I purchased one of her booklets out of gratitude, a child’s story book about Jesus’ life. As we exchanged money, one of the store’s unsuspecting employees came out to retrieve the carts. Both Angel and I quieted, acting awkwardly as if nothing had happened. I thought this is probably the way drug dealers act when the authorities show up. After all, what had we done? Treated the parking lot as an illegal chiropractic clinic where she, a non-licensed, non-professional could have impaired me for life; bought and sold material illegally on their property???

I handed her a little extra money to get herself something to drink on that hot day and never saw her again.

Her good deed left me feeling better, though we were in somewhat different camps religiously, we left each other with good wishes.  I could have been tough on her, demanding to know exactly where she stood regarding particular articles of faith.  But, I felt no need to argue with her. In fact we found common ground in talking about Jesus and His love for the world. I’ll let Him sort the rest out.

Admittedly, I would not purchase materials from Jehovah Witnesses or Mormons because I believe they are cults. I used to think the Adventists were a cult but I’m not so sure, now.  My experience is limited to their hospitals in Indonesia. All I learned from Angel is what I knew already, that their Sabbath is on Saturday’s and they are very health conscious. Possibly, I am wrong about Adventists. I do need to look into it.

I found this website below written by a former Adventist who makes a strong case that Seventh Day Adventism is a cult. Read for yourselves below.

Related articles

• Dear Adventist Friends: How Can You Worship in Spirit and in Truth? (undercoveradventist.wordpress.com)

Don’t Mess With Egyptian Women!

Don’t Mess With Egyptian Women!.

If You Invite An International Student Home For Thanksgiving | Vicki Valosik | Outside In Literary & Travel Magazine

If You Invite An International Student Home For Thanksgiving | Vicki Valosik | Outside In Literary & Travel Magazine.

Why the Trinity?

StJohnsAshfield StainedGlass Baptism (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Several days ago, I was reading the story of Jesus being baptized by John Baptist in the book of Matthew, chapter 3.  He writes in vss 16, 17: “At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

My first thoughts after reading went to our Muslim friends who always ask us if we think Jesus is God’s Son. It’s a painful subject and often a conversation stopper or an argument starter because they believe very strongly that Christians worship THREE Gods! WE DON’T, but trying to explain why we believe in ONE God who is Triune is very difficult and inconvenient.

I love and respect our Muslim friends and I understand their passion for the One True God…Allah and His purity, so I want to explain why we also worship ONE God.  But, I’ve never been successful in explaining our beliefs in the Trinity to their satisfaction.

As I understand it, a good many Muslims think we worship God the creator who had sex with Mary thus producing a son, Jesus.  Some believe we worship God, Mary and Jesus. Not True.

Others don’t believe this, but all believe that Jesus is NOT God’s Son.

And who can blame them? If we’re honest, it’s difficult for us Christians to understand much less explain.

That’s why I’m posting this article from Christianity Today about the Trinity, “Three is the Loveliest Number”. It may not persuade any Muslims, but it provided me with an “epiphany” about Christians (and perhaps why so many in our country expect more of the USA as a once/so-called Christian nation).

Christians are called to be culturally different from other cultures that do not believe in the Trinity.

We are called to a lifestyle of relationship, with God and with others:   Love, forgiveness, gratitude, joy, peace, patience and other qualities that always existed in God’s relationship with His Son are to be in evidence in our daily lives.

What a great challenge to begin the New Year!

I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did.

Three Is the Loveliest Number | Christianity Today.

Related articles

• Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord – Reflection (swordsoftruth.com)

A thought from David Kinnaman about previous subject of Evangelicals criticizing themselves. Question is how often do we criticize Muslims because we DON’T hear them criticizing their own scholars?

Persona

Close to 60 percent of young people who went to church as teens drop out after high school. Now the bestselling author trains his researcher’s eye on these young believers. Where Kinnaman’s first book showed the world what outsiders aged 16-29 think of Christianity, You Lost Me shows why younger Christians aged 16-29 are leaving the church and rethinking their faith. Based on new research, You Lost Me shows pastors, church leaders, and parents how we have failed to equip young people to live “in but not of” the world and how this has serious long-term consequences. More importantly, Kinnaman offers ideas on how to help young people develop and maintain a vibrant faith that they embrace over a lifetime.

David Kinnaman, You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith

* * *

I also recommend on this topic the article Our (Own) Worst Enemies: Why Evangelicals…

View original post 27 more words

Brick by Brick: Our (Own) Worst Enemies: Why Evangelicals Have to be Able to Criticize Each Other

A bible from 1859. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It takes courage and wisdom to know when to change our long-held beliefs doesn’t it? There are some that we will never change because we are persuaded from our source text, The Bible, that they are right. Others, like slavery, were once thought to be Biblical, and are now considered false beliefs. But, how do sincere Christians really know how and when to make that leap from one strong belief to the opposite belief?  When should we allow peers and culture to influence us?

These questions are best asked in a community of people who think somewhat differently, while valuing and respecting the principles upon which each person bases his/her life.

Questions need to be asked and that is why I think I related to the dilemma posted by David Williams of Inter-Varsity in North Carolina, on his blog “Brick by Brick”. (Read below)

I’ve had people ask me if I didn’t “like” the Church when I’ve spoken up about some of the weaknesses I see in the Body of Christ.

Some of my Christian friends have been hurt when I’ve made negative comments about people who claim to be Christians and then speak out politically in ways that deny the words of Christ.

I try to look for the inconsistency in my life before I criticize other people, but it’s easy to over look things because of stubbornness and pride. That’s why I usually learn from other people’s criticism even when I might not seem to listen at first.

Hopefully.

 Our (Own) Worst Enemies: Why Evangelicals Have to be Able to Criticize Each Other Brick by Brick