I am not writing to disagree, but to share another life perspective.
I am a Jewish believer. I have known the Lord for 50 years, and my baptism would likely make me ineligible for aliyah, the automatic citizenship of Jews who "go home." (This might not be true, but the current government of Israel, an unholy alliance of the ultra-orthodox and right wing politicians that is horribly reminiscent of our own political situation, it is likely.) I say all this to indicate who I am not. I am working hard to be fair minded in my prayers and opinions, to grieve for both Jewish and Palestinian victims of the current situation. However, I do want to interject a few ideas into the conversation:
1. My lived experience includes a summer in Israel as a high school student. (I was not a Christian at the time.) It was 13 months after the 6-day war. I was well aware that, had it been 13 months earlier, our group could not have gone to the Wailing Wall. Fair or not, that forms my response to the "Jerusalem Question."
2.We cannot hold unbelieving Jews to the standards that so-called (and even true) Christian believers cannot maintain. (I think Jesus said something like that to Pharisees and their "converts." When I was growing up, I learned about the founders--not perfect human beings, but heroic in their own way. The current crowd is far from that standard. Nonetheless...
3. I believe we talk in other settings about "generational trauma." I was born in Brooklyn nine years after WWII ended. I cannot watch or read Holocaust materials without imagining myself with a yellow star and having nightmares. The current rise in antisemitic attacks is scary on a visceral level. Steve Schumer's comments in his recent NYT op-ed stated it better than I could. We are a tiny minority in the world, persecuted from our beginnings. It is not OK to "be the oppressor"--BUT it is important to recognize that bad responses to existential threat does not mean there is no existential threat.
I believe that our continued existence is witness to God's faithfulness. And I do believe that, when there's conflict between two parties and one of them isn't God, there's plenty of sin to go around. Nonetheless, I need to share my perspective even as I listen to the perspectives of others.
This is profoundly true. I too saw these things first hand in 2011 post-wall. Many Jewish Israelis disagree with Netanyahu's policies. This does not make them anti-semitic, obviously.
Thank you for articulating this so well. As you note in this case as in so many cases, “although I had more knowledge about… than most people I encountered, I still did not feel confident to vocally disagree with others when they expressed an uncritically and simplistic stance.” I feel that.
Oooof. Facts, despite our emotional and religious allegiances, matter. Justice MUST take a side.
Thank you for your clear & compassionate words.
I am not writing to disagree, but to share another life perspective.
I am a Jewish believer. I have known the Lord for 50 years, and my baptism would likely make me ineligible for aliyah, the automatic citizenship of Jews who "go home." (This might not be true, but the current government of Israel, an unholy alliance of the ultra-orthodox and right wing politicians that is horribly reminiscent of our own political situation, it is likely.) I say all this to indicate who I am not. I am working hard to be fair minded in my prayers and opinions, to grieve for both Jewish and Palestinian victims of the current situation. However, I do want to interject a few ideas into the conversation:
1. My lived experience includes a summer in Israel as a high school student. (I was not a Christian at the time.) It was 13 months after the 6-day war. I was well aware that, had it been 13 months earlier, our group could not have gone to the Wailing Wall. Fair or not, that forms my response to the "Jerusalem Question."
2.We cannot hold unbelieving Jews to the standards that so-called (and even true) Christian believers cannot maintain. (I think Jesus said something like that to Pharisees and their "converts." When I was growing up, I learned about the founders--not perfect human beings, but heroic in their own way. The current crowd is far from that standard. Nonetheless...
3. I believe we talk in other settings about "generational trauma." I was born in Brooklyn nine years after WWII ended. I cannot watch or read Holocaust materials without imagining myself with a yellow star and having nightmares. The current rise in antisemitic attacks is scary on a visceral level. Steve Schumer's comments in his recent NYT op-ed stated it better than I could. We are a tiny minority in the world, persecuted from our beginnings. It is not OK to "be the oppressor"--BUT it is important to recognize that bad responses to existential threat does not mean there is no existential threat.
I believe that our continued existence is witness to God's faithfulness. And I do believe that, when there's conflict between two parties and one of them isn't God, there's plenty of sin to go around. Nonetheless, I need to share my perspective even as I listen to the perspectives of others.
Agree wholeheartedly. Thank you for writing this.
It's always a good thing when life experiences help us deconstruct and adjust
This is profoundly true. I too saw these things first hand in 2011 post-wall. Many Jewish Israelis disagree with Netanyahu's policies. This does not make them anti-semitic, obviously.
Thank you for articulating this so well. As you note in this case as in so many cases, “although I had more knowledge about… than most people I encountered, I still did not feel confident to vocally disagree with others when they expressed an uncritically and simplistic stance.” I feel that.
Powerful words of learning. Thank you!