I've seen articles and letters and heard reports of a growing disillusionment in Israel. The bombers just keep coming. Who would have imagined it even two years ago? An entire people has bought into the idea that if they turn their children into human hand grenades, they'll get what they want.
Instead of hearing that reported accurately, you look at CNN and the BBC and you hear about the "cycle of violence." Blow-dried commentators look at people whose greatest goal in life is to blow themselves up to murder Jews and then look at a military force protecting their homeland and see a moral equivalence. "If only Israel would stop the violence," everything would be fine. Who wouldn't be discouraged listening to that?
You may have come to the conclusion that the rest of the world doesn't understand and the rest of the world doesn't care. But you're wrong.
I went to my first Israel Bonds rally last night. It may be old hat to you, but as a Christian pastor in Fort Worth, Texas, it was new to me.
It was held in the home of a Jewish community leader, and we had 190 in attendance. Fully a third of them were Christians. And both Jews and Christians were buying bonds. Why not? You're a good investment. From our point of view, no matter what's going on now, Israel is always a good investment. I've seen Christian books written 150 years ago that describe the Jews one day returning to the land and restoring the nation of Israel. We knew you were coming back. The Bible says so. Our New Testament teaches that Israel will still be around in the end times. The United States is not given the same assurances.
Part of the attraction was the bestowal of the Israel Freedom Award on one of Fort Worth's own, Monica (Posy) McMillan. Posy is an evangelical Christian with a Jewish heart. She's just over five feet and every inch loves the Jews. Her grandfather was a Christian Zionist in 1948, and the bloodline ran true. Posy studied at Yad VaShem. She teaches extensive courses in local churches on "Judaism 101" and "Anti-Semitism and the Church." You've known about that for years. Unfortunately, it was news to us. Posy and Etta Korenman head up the local "Yad b'Yad" chapter. It's an organization for understanding between our Jewish and Christian communities, and appropriately, it's led by an orthodox Jew and an evangelical Christian. They're the best of friends.
In January a group of Jews and Christians went to Israel with Posy and Etta, many for the first time. We were the only tourists in the country and we were treated like royalty. We didn't have to stand in line for anything. I look forward to coming back again soon, and I hope for long lines everywhere we go.
Posy's pride and joy is her "e-mail army." She has a list of 60 Christians and Jews in the Fort Worth area who watch every newspaper article and every news report on Israel. Any anti-Israel article is answered immediately. If it's really nasty, we drown them in "letters to the editor." In the first 14 months of the current Intifada, 116 of our articles were published. We educate, we refute the garbage, and we do what we can to stand up for Israel and urge others to do the same. The members of Posy's army write their congressmen, the president and anyone else we think might help.
It may not sound like much, but this is largely a war of ideas, and we do what we can. The front-page headline in our local paper this morning was "Israel retaliates after bomb attack." Six months ago, that title would more likely have read, "Israeli forces invade Ramallah." They've heard so much from us that they're now more sensitive to a pro-Israel point of view. That paper serves a community of 700,000. It matters.
You may have seen the news about a "Stand for Israel" campaign being put together by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and Ralph Reed, former director of the Christian Coalition and an advisor to President George W. Bush. They're planning a day of solidarity and prayer for Israel in churches throughout America in September. They can expect a million people involved at the grassroots level if they do it right. A recent survey described 68% of American evangelical Christians who support Israel and only 8% in favor of the Palestinians.
Christians and Jews have had their differences through the years. There have been instances of serious anti-Semitism in the Christian church in the past, something that we deeply regret. There are remnants of that today in some corners. But it's impossible to objectively read the Bible and not come away with the idea that G-d will always love Israel and that those who love G-d should love Israel, as well. Add that to the fact that you're another western democracy under attack by terrorists, and that explains the vibrant - and growing - affinity for Israel in American evangelical circles. Millions of Americans who would not identify themselves as Christians side vigorously with Israel, as well.
Does anyone out there care about you and what you're going through? Know that there are groups of Christians and Jews - in Fort Worth and throughout America - who pray for you daily and speak up for you as and when they can. Some of our Jewish friends are still planning aliyah, and some are already paying on mortgages in Israel. Many of us have come to visit and we'll come back.
As the L-rd said to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them" (Joshua 1:6). No other people in history has survived as a separate, identifiable culture for 19 centuries without a homeland. But the Jews did. And now you're back. Is a scruffy, corrupt group of political hacks who use their own people as cannon fodder going to change that? I don't think so.
C. S. Lewis, an Oxford don and Christian thinker, reminded his readers that G-d gives grace 24 hours at a time. He gives strength for today. If you think about the terror going on and on and assume that it will never stop, you'll give up, but G-d will give strength to make it through today. And He'll give more tomorrow. This will not last forever. Israel will endure.
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B.F. Spears, Jr. is a pastor in Forth Worth, Texas.
Instead of hearing that reported accurately, you look at CNN and the BBC and you hear about the "cycle of violence." Blow-dried commentators look at people whose greatest goal in life is to blow themselves up to murder Jews and then look at a military force protecting their homeland and see a moral equivalence. "If only Israel would stop the violence," everything would be fine. Who wouldn't be discouraged listening to that?
You may have come to the conclusion that the rest of the world doesn't understand and the rest of the world doesn't care. But you're wrong.
I went to my first Israel Bonds rally last night. It may be old hat to you, but as a Christian pastor in Fort Worth, Texas, it was new to me.
It was held in the home of a Jewish community leader, and we had 190 in attendance. Fully a third of them were Christians. And both Jews and Christians were buying bonds. Why not? You're a good investment. From our point of view, no matter what's going on now, Israel is always a good investment. I've seen Christian books written 150 years ago that describe the Jews one day returning to the land and restoring the nation of Israel. We knew you were coming back. The Bible says so. Our New Testament teaches that Israel will still be around in the end times. The United States is not given the same assurances.
Part of the attraction was the bestowal of the Israel Freedom Award on one of Fort Worth's own, Monica (Posy) McMillan. Posy is an evangelical Christian with a Jewish heart. She's just over five feet and every inch loves the Jews. Her grandfather was a Christian Zionist in 1948, and the bloodline ran true. Posy studied at Yad VaShem. She teaches extensive courses in local churches on "Judaism 101" and "Anti-Semitism and the Church." You've known about that for years. Unfortunately, it was news to us. Posy and Etta Korenman head up the local "Yad b'Yad" chapter. It's an organization for understanding between our Jewish and Christian communities, and appropriately, it's led by an orthodox Jew and an evangelical Christian. They're the best of friends.
In January a group of Jews and Christians went to Israel with Posy and Etta, many for the first time. We were the only tourists in the country and we were treated like royalty. We didn't have to stand in line for anything. I look forward to coming back again soon, and I hope for long lines everywhere we go.
Posy's pride and joy is her "e-mail army." She has a list of 60 Christians and Jews in the Fort Worth area who watch every newspaper article and every news report on Israel. Any anti-Israel article is answered immediately. If it's really nasty, we drown them in "letters to the editor." In the first 14 months of the current Intifada, 116 of our articles were published. We educate, we refute the garbage, and we do what we can to stand up for Israel and urge others to do the same. The members of Posy's army write their congressmen, the president and anyone else we think might help.
It may not sound like much, but this is largely a war of ideas, and we do what we can. The front-page headline in our local paper this morning was "Israel retaliates after bomb attack." Six months ago, that title would more likely have read, "Israeli forces invade Ramallah." They've heard so much from us that they're now more sensitive to a pro-Israel point of view. That paper serves a community of 700,000. It matters.
You may have seen the news about a "Stand for Israel" campaign being put together by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and Ralph Reed, former director of the Christian Coalition and an advisor to President George W. Bush. They're planning a day of solidarity and prayer for Israel in churches throughout America in September. They can expect a million people involved at the grassroots level if they do it right. A recent survey described 68% of American evangelical Christians who support Israel and only 8% in favor of the Palestinians.
Christians and Jews have had their differences through the years. There have been instances of serious anti-Semitism in the Christian church in the past, something that we deeply regret. There are remnants of that today in some corners. But it's impossible to objectively read the Bible and not come away with the idea that G-d will always love Israel and that those who love G-d should love Israel, as well. Add that to the fact that you're another western democracy under attack by terrorists, and that explains the vibrant - and growing - affinity for Israel in American evangelical circles. Millions of Americans who would not identify themselves as Christians side vigorously with Israel, as well.
Does anyone out there care about you and what you're going through? Know that there are groups of Christians and Jews - in Fort Worth and throughout America - who pray for you daily and speak up for you as and when they can. Some of our Jewish friends are still planning aliyah, and some are already paying on mortgages in Israel. Many of us have come to visit and we'll come back.
As the L-rd said to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them" (Joshua 1:6). No other people in history has survived as a separate, identifiable culture for 19 centuries without a homeland. But the Jews did. And now you're back. Is a scruffy, corrupt group of political hacks who use their own people as cannon fodder going to change that? I don't think so.
C. S. Lewis, an Oxford don and Christian thinker, reminded his readers that G-d gives grace 24 hours at a time. He gives strength for today. If you think about the terror going on and on and assume that it will never stop, you'll give up, but G-d will give strength to make it through today. And He'll give more tomorrow. This will not last forever. Israel will endure.
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B.F. Spears, Jr. is a pastor in Forth Worth, Texas.