Skip to main content

Understanding Israel: Did you know?

Did you know that Christians ruled the Holy Lands during two periods, each of which lasted longer than Texas has been a state?  During both the Byzantine and Crusade periods the Holy Land was ruled by Christians for hundreds of years.  I knew, but forgot.  This land, like the food, has produced an overlapping set of cultures.  Canaanite, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Catholic Crusaders, Ottoman, British, and now Israeli.  The most difficulty thing is that we don't understand Israel and the complexities and nuances of its history at all.  

Our translator and guide has been fantastic.  He has helped us to grow a lot in our appreciation and love for all Israelis: Christians, Muslims, and Jews.  However, three days in a country does not make me an expert on the nuances of Israeli political life.  And, a nation like the U.S. with less than three centuries of experience is challenged by conflicts and nuances that are older than our nation.

Many Christians seem to support israel out of a hope for the immanent return of Jesus and the final battle of Meggido.  Other pastors with count down clocks seem to support the modern Israeli state out of a bizarre fantasy that it is the kingdom of David restored.  The modern state of Israel is not the kingdom of David restored.  But, Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East and the only real American ally left after idiotic foreign policy that alienated and betrayed our allies during both Democratic and Republican administrations.  

At the best our policies in the Middle East have been benign naive incompetence, at their worst they have led to even greater humanitarian catastrophes and a more unstable region that is potentially more volatile and less democratic than before.  But, we must stand with Israel.  They are an amazing people who do not want American soldiers, but need American support.  We do not need to tell them how to execute their foreign policy in a region of the world that we fail to understand.  But, we need to make sure that their frail strategic position is never worsened by our lack of support.  Peace must be our goal, but peace will never be achieved by weakening Israel.  Only with a strong Israel will peace and stability in this region be possible.  

Comments

  1. Jim ThomsonJanuary 19, 2012 at 1:51 AM

    Really Good Post!!

    Israel Travel Providers, llc, is one of Israel's leading Tour Operators. We specialize in all types of Tours to Israel Tours, Jordan and Egypt, services to groups, individuals, travel agents, Ministers,

    Rabbis and Clergymen.

    http://bit.ly/unA7De

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Now there is something you don’t see very often!

After the halfway point on my walk this morning, heading back towards home, I saw something you don’t see every day.   It was a mockingbird chasing a hawk.   The hawk was probably five times the size of the mockingbird.   But the chase was all in the attitude.   The mockingbird was squawking and chirping in a language that would make a sailor blush.   The hawk wanted no part of it and was trying the flee but could not get away from the mockingbird. What had the hawk done?  What had agitated the mockingbird so much?  Had it been a transgression?  Was the hawk just too close for comfort?  Or did the two have a history.  I was walking a bit later than normal and had not yet seen this routine.  The unusual scene distracted and entertained me as I reflected on a myriad of permutations. As I’ve felt like the one receiving the squawk most of my life as a leader, I was surprised at how proud I was of the little mockingbird.  Maybe ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The A.I. Assisted Sermon: Hello world!

By now, you have probably seen reporting on A.I. (Artificial Intelligence).  The format of the reports are almost humorously consistent.  There are a few moments of explanation on how computing reached this point.  There is a mention of A.I. being the quickest technology to reach one hundred million users. Then, the report often concludes with the pundit explaining that a portion or all of the report was written by A.I.  So, before I proceed. No, this blog was not written by A.I. Viewing these developments with some level of skepticism, I thought I would test A.I. out myself.  I had worked as a UNIX architect for almost a decade before responding to my call into ordained ministry. I still enjoy using technology to accomplish tasks.  Recently, I attended a Board of Ordained Ministry meeting where a few of my colleagues posited that A.I. performed better on some of the commissioning questions than several of the candidates.  Could this be right?  So...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who Is My Neighbor?

Lent begins this Wednesday, and I am eager for the journey ahead. Our Lenten sermon series,   Iconic , invites us to explore stories and teachings of Jesus that have become deeply embedded in our culture. This week, we begin with the parable of the   Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) —Jesus’ response to the question,   “Who is our neighbor?” This question remains just as relevant today. Jesus’ answer was as surprising then as it is now: the hero of the story—the Samaritan—was the least expected to stop and help. Cultural biases and stigmas of the time made this story jarring. And yet, Jesus doesn’t simply answer the question outright; instead, Jesus poses one of his own:   “Which of these was a neighbor to the man?”   The lawyer who initially asked the question is confronted with his own biases and is forced to acknowledge the shocking conclusion:   “The one who showed mercy.”  Jesus then commands,   “Go and do likewise.”   Too often, devotional...
Post a Comment
Read more