This is wonderful, thank you. I'm reminded of a quote that I can't seem to find anywhere so I may be butchering it: "Jews are the only people in the world expected to be real Christians" [i.e. to take the third option, as you put it].
"the Christian believes that freedom ultimately comes only in the form of Jesus taking Israel’s third option, to suffer death and defeat, and yet the Christian knows history and knows that it is bondage and not freedom to compel Israel to conform to Jesus in this way."
Serious Christians may disagree on this, but as I understand it Romans 13 says God has given government the power of the sword to punish and restrain evil, and also to protect its citizens. This applies to everyone all over the world - French, Japanese, Brazilians and Israelis. Thus, the US gov't has an obligation to protect its citizens, as does the Israeli government. I do not believe Hamas and Hezbollah are fighting to protect Palestinian people, so this does not apply to them. Their administrations are illegitimate and do not care about Lebanese and Palestinian people at all. Their sole purpose is to destroy Israel and slaughter the Jews for entirely different ideological and religious reasons.
I largely agree, Joe. I suspect many people are motivated to join Hamas or Hezbollah by legitimate grievances related to their living conditions, and I’m certain those conditions are inseparable from Israeli actions. But murdering unarmed people, raping women, and taking hostages is inexcusable.
I agree their living conditions are inseparable from Israeli actions, but those Israeli reactions did not come out of nowhere. Those Israeli actions were inseparable from previous attempts to destroy Israel. Ultimately the "cycle of violence" began at some point, and I believe that point began with attempts to prevent the Jews from their rightful return to their land - and where is God in all of this? Did God have nothing to do with the survival of the Jews over the centuries, and their reestablishment in their ancient homeland in circumstances that seemed impossible only a short time before?
I wonder why Christians so often feel that they need always to have a say in all those impossible historical predicaments that peoples or groups have been experiencing over the ages. Sure, Jews are the People that were chosen and set apart by God for His own purposes, which were ultimately leading to the coming of Christ. Sure, Jews have been suffering unspeakably at innumerable times in the centuries after that. And sure enough, having obtained at last their own state once again didn’t end those sufferings.
But that’s not my point here. My point is, why do we, as Christians, have to have opinions about their causes and their actions? Or, for that matter, about the causes and actions of their adversaries?
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, who didn’t judge, who loved friend and foe alike (even died for them all, as I recall), we shouldn’t judge or hate or advocate sides neither. But instead, we should call out for mercy and compassion to all, victims and agressors alike. We should cry out to the world and to all people of power to stop fighting, to stop killing and hurting one another.
Not because we believe we can really matter in this of other conflicts. Not because we can or should exert certain powers and influence to change the world’s doings. But because it is the right thing to say to this world. We believe in a kingdom of peace and love that is yet to come, but that casts his shadow unto our world -not by actions of power and influence of its servants (i.e. christians) but through their prophetic calling out into this world. And through our examples of unpretentious love of each other and every other person -good or bad, lovable or loathsome, powerful or powerless. But not by exerting opinions about who is right and who is wrong. And who should be supported or opposed.
Is it unrealistic to call for peace? To ask people to forgive and learn to love their enemies? To give up fighting for their rights?
Yes, sure it is! But it is still the right thing to say. It is still what Jesus wants us to do. He doesn’t want fighting Christians, who strive to change the world through their actions and protests. He wants us to be prophets and examples of love. Or so I strongly believe.
So, I am not a Zionist. I am not pro or contra Palestinians. But I am all for loving and let live and for forgiveness and kindness, etcetera. And I propose that we let God Himself be the real and final Judge of all of us. For we are all sinners: christians, other believers and atheists alike. And we all need His mercy and His love -that He gave to us freely, through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May he have mercy on us and on this poor suffering world.
P.S. I hope I didn’t offend any of you with these rather bluntly stated opinions of mine and I am of course openminded for anyone who has other opinions, so I might learn from them as well.
I’m very grateful for this comment, Jan. I appreciate your moral and spiritual clarity, and I believe voices like yours are needed. I don’t personally believe Christians can always stay above the fray, and I think this is part of the tragedy of life in a sinful world. In what I wrote, I was trying to take moral responsibility for my own position too, as a person who isn’t a committed pacifist. I readily admit that it is an uncomfortable place to be as a Christian.
This is wonderful, thank you. I'm reminded of a quote that I can't seem to find anywhere so I may be butchering it: "Jews are the only people in the world expected to be real Christians" [i.e. to take the third option, as you put it].
Thank you so much, Jessica. I don’t know if you butchered the quotation or not, but I resonate with it and I’m grateful for it.
"the Christian believes that freedom ultimately comes only in the form of Jesus taking Israel’s third option, to suffer death and defeat, and yet the Christian knows history and knows that it is bondage and not freedom to compel Israel to conform to Jesus in this way."
Serious Christians may disagree on this, but as I understand it Romans 13 says God has given government the power of the sword to punish and restrain evil, and also to protect its citizens. This applies to everyone all over the world - French, Japanese, Brazilians and Israelis. Thus, the US gov't has an obligation to protect its citizens, as does the Israeli government. I do not believe Hamas and Hezbollah are fighting to protect Palestinian people, so this does not apply to them. Their administrations are illegitimate and do not care about Lebanese and Palestinian people at all. Their sole purpose is to destroy Israel and slaughter the Jews for entirely different ideological and religious reasons.
I largely agree, Joe. I suspect many people are motivated to join Hamas or Hezbollah by legitimate grievances related to their living conditions, and I’m certain those conditions are inseparable from Israeli actions. But murdering unarmed people, raping women, and taking hostages is inexcusable.
I agree their living conditions are inseparable from Israeli actions, but those Israeli reactions did not come out of nowhere. Those Israeli actions were inseparable from previous attempts to destroy Israel. Ultimately the "cycle of violence" began at some point, and I believe that point began with attempts to prevent the Jews from their rightful return to their land - and where is God in all of this? Did God have nothing to do with the survival of the Jews over the centuries, and their reestablishment in their ancient homeland in circumstances that seemed impossible only a short time before?
I wonder why Christians so often feel that they need always to have a say in all those impossible historical predicaments that peoples or groups have been experiencing over the ages. Sure, Jews are the People that were chosen and set apart by God for His own purposes, which were ultimately leading to the coming of Christ. Sure, Jews have been suffering unspeakably at innumerable times in the centuries after that. And sure enough, having obtained at last their own state once again didn’t end those sufferings.
But that’s not my point here. My point is, why do we, as Christians, have to have opinions about their causes and their actions? Or, for that matter, about the causes and actions of their adversaries?
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, who didn’t judge, who loved friend and foe alike (even died for them all, as I recall), we shouldn’t judge or hate or advocate sides neither. But instead, we should call out for mercy and compassion to all, victims and agressors alike. We should cry out to the world and to all people of power to stop fighting, to stop killing and hurting one another.
Not because we believe we can really matter in this of other conflicts. Not because we can or should exert certain powers and influence to change the world’s doings. But because it is the right thing to say to this world. We believe in a kingdom of peace and love that is yet to come, but that casts his shadow unto our world -not by actions of power and influence of its servants (i.e. christians) but through their prophetic calling out into this world. And through our examples of unpretentious love of each other and every other person -good or bad, lovable or loathsome, powerful or powerless. But not by exerting opinions about who is right and who is wrong. And who should be supported or opposed.
Is it unrealistic to call for peace? To ask people to forgive and learn to love their enemies? To give up fighting for their rights?
Yes, sure it is! But it is still the right thing to say. It is still what Jesus wants us to do. He doesn’t want fighting Christians, who strive to change the world through their actions and protests. He wants us to be prophets and examples of love. Or so I strongly believe.
So, I am not a Zionist. I am not pro or contra Palestinians. But I am all for loving and let live and for forgiveness and kindness, etcetera. And I propose that we let God Himself be the real and final Judge of all of us. For we are all sinners: christians, other believers and atheists alike. And we all need His mercy and His love -that He gave to us freely, through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May he have mercy on us and on this poor suffering world.
P.S. I hope I didn’t offend any of you with these rather bluntly stated opinions of mine and I am of course openminded for anyone who has other opinions, so I might learn from them as well.
I’m very grateful for this comment, Jan. I appreciate your moral and spiritual clarity, and I believe voices like yours are needed. I don’t personally believe Christians can always stay above the fray, and I think this is part of the tragedy of life in a sinful world. In what I wrote, I was trying to take moral responsibility for my own position too, as a person who isn’t a committed pacifist. I readily admit that it is an uncomfortable place to be as a Christian.
I stand with you on the defense of Israel. I enjoyed your eloquent historical perspective about Israel and the Jews.
I prefer this account to dispensationalism.
Thank you, Paul.