Get Back
My most recent sermon (05/29/05) focused on Biblical stories of going back home to potentially unpleasant situations. Using the stories of the returns of Jacob, Moses, Joseph & Mary, and the prodigal son, I discussed how returning is often necessary to resolve problems of the past, and how important it is to do so in a way that doesn't create new problems. Then I turned to today's headlines and pointed out current situations of the same phenomenon, like the Republic of Georgia and the state of Israel. Here is an excerpt:

A similar situation is happening right now in the state of Israel. Israel as a country, a modern political entity, is quite young. It’s only been around for a little over fifty years. In World War II worldwide anti-Semitism culminated in Germany’s Nazi regime trying to exterminate them from the face of the earth. Hatred of the Jews was common in North America, but more so in Europe. After the war, when everyone realized just how much the Jews had gone through, the international community realized that it could no longer sit idly by and allow this kind of hatred. They also decided that it was time to create a Jewish state, so they gave them back the Promised Land. Once again, Israel was a nation. Very soon, Jews from all over went back home, to the Promised Land.

The problem was that were already people living in the Promised Land. The Palestinians had been living there for centuries, but through political and military pressure, some of them were forced to give up their homes and their land, very often with no reimbursement. After years of being pushed around everywhere else, the Jews returned the favour and started pushing around the people living in their reclaimed land. Very soon they began to become militarily aggressive, and they went to war to increase their borders. They were going home as though nothing had changed. In Exodus we read about the Israelites wandering in from the desert, and following a decree from God, they enter the Promised Land and attack the inhabitants. This time however, they entered the land with a decree from the United Nations, and the U.N. did not sanction any military aggression on behalf of Israel. But Israel was aggressive. They went to war to enlarge their land. They kicked lots of people off of their land, Arabs, Palestinians, Christians, and Muslims. In creating a Jewish state, they took away the rights of any non-Jews.

Because of all of these evil things that the Jews were doing, the Palestinians began to hate the Jews. Out of that hatred, they fought back and committed evil as well. Suicide bombers, political assassinations and general disobedience have all successfully created a feeling of fear and hatred in Israel. Hatred creates more hatred. Bloodshed invites more bloodshed. Evil welcomes only evil.

Many people see this event as having more apocalyptic significance than political significance. This means that they think the forming of the nation of Israel has nothing to do with politics and international governments and everything to do with the end of the world. They look to the prophecies in the Bible about the end times, and they interpret certain verses to suggest that when Israel is a country again, then the end is near. I’m not disagreeing with that interpretation, but even if the re-establishment of Israel as a nation is God’s doing, that doesn’t mean that we can ignore what’s happening there.

Note: I used this opportunity to plug a series of conference supported lectures by Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Abuna Elias Chacour of Israel from May 29 to June 3 in different parts of Ontario
This week, we have the opportunity to hear the story of what’s happening over there from the mouth of man that lives there. Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada has invited Abuna Elias Chacour to give a series of lectures. Chacour is an Arab Christian who works in the Israeli city of Ibillin. As a child, he and his family and his entire community were kicked out of their village and forced to live somewhere else. After months of pleading and lobbying with the government, they were finally allowed to return home. But as they approached their homes from the distance, military jets flew overhead and bombed the village to the ground. This kind of story is common in Israel. Palestinian villages are regularly destroyed so that the military can build roads, dividing walls and new Jewish settlements. But instead of fighting back, like a lot of Palestinians do, and like a lot of us would too, Father Chacour decided to improve things. Because of his work, Jews, Muslims and Christians are learning to live together peacefully. They are learning to break the cycle of hatred and violence. In his lectures, he will be discussing what he’s doing to break that cycle, what we can do to break that cycle there, and here in our own lives.

Father Chacour cannot go back home. He cannot return to his quiet peaceful village as though everything is the same. In response to that, instead of complaining and hating and fighting back, he has begun to work to improve the situation, and to restore the love and dignity that each person deserves.

   [ posted by William @ 10:28 AM ]

Follow the leader?

Recently Will and I went to Moody Blues with some friends, to enjoy that scrumptious cake and to select tea from the overwhelming variety of choices. After a game of pick-up-sticks we somehow landed on the subject of war (whether it can be justifiable or not), God's involvement in war (if at all), the Holocaust, and (most disturbingly, as one suggested) whether or not God intended the Holocaust to happen. This topic of discussion alone made me uneasy, alongside the fact that I put too much sugar in my tea and the fact that the music (intense modern alternative jazz, with unresolved sporatic chords, as per usual) made me want to yank my hair out. My immediate thoughts were "Of course God did not intend the Holocaust to happen! What kind of God would that be?!" However, to support the inquirer (who seemed to be readying his shell to promptly retreat to it), I said, "Well, God can work through evil to bring out good, such as the work of Victor Frankl" (to name just one).

I wanted so much to believe that it could be that simple. But it isn't.

It was pointed out to me that it is written in scripture that God appoints all leaders, and that everyone should submit to their leader:

Romans 13: 1-2;"Everyone must submit himself to the government authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

Well, Hitler was an authority. What does this mean for those who did not support Hitler? What does this mean for Christians now who only remember Hitler for the evil he (and his nazis, and the world who turned a blind eye) committed?

Romans 13: 3-5; "For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong....For he is God's servant to do you good....an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment, but also because of conscience."

This obviously was not written with the Holocaust in mind, but rather specifically to the Romans, with the Roman government in mind. This I know, except that as Christians, I understand we are to look to the whole Bible for guidance, including Pauls letters. Also, Paul makes generalizations that are to be applied in all cases, such as "...for there is no authority except that which God has established."

Personally, I believe God does not appoint leaders, but rather allows leaders to rise and fall, with the ever-present desire that both the leader and the followers believe in Him and seek His will...but that isn't always the case. Either that, or God does appoint leaders with a purpose in mind, but allowing free will to take its course.

But I still struggle with this...

   [ posted by Anabee @ 6:11 PM ]