IN THE MEANTIME:

Christians and Jews are both part of the Divine Plan (Bruce T. Forbes October 22, 2002, Israel Insider)

When I was eight years old I made a childhood promise to visit Israel - to walk the paths of the great Patriarchs and Kings; to see the places Jesus taught; to see the country built up by a modern people led by my childhood heroes David Ben Gurion and Golda Meir. My father's advice was to read and learn the history of each place so I would know what I was looking at when I got there.

Thirty-five years later, as a member of the U.S. Air Force, I twice found myself working alongside members of the Israeli Defense Force in joint military exercises - and touring the country on our off-duty time. My father's advice served me well as I was even able to teach some of the Israelis about the places we saw. One of the most sacred moments was looking up at the Mount of Olives while reading the words of the prophet Zechariah concerning the coming of the Messiah. There was no arguing; only a friendly challenge to meet when the Messiah came to see who was right all along.

I am a Christian who loves and respects a Book, a People, and a Country--something taught to me from birth. I know I will always be an outsider, but I will still be there--writing letters to the leaders of my country and chastising them when they aren't good to Israel; publicly defending Israel in political debates and Judaism in religious debates; and taking my place in public rallies in the defense of Israel and my friends. And standing guard if a neighboring rabbi's home is threatened.

And this is more than many American Jews are willing to do! This is more than some Israelis are willing to do!

So imagine my surprise when I read the writings of a rising star in the Israeli political sky, only to discover I am no better than a Nazi because the Almighty chose to have me born into a Christian home. Imagine my shock to discover how many people agree with this man!

If Zionism requires a racial Judaism, then it's awfully hard to imagine Israel enduring for more than another generation or two. It seems more healthy for Israelis to recognize that their state is part of an emerging coalition of like-minded liberal democracies that are Jewish (Israel), Muslim (Turkey), Hindu (India), Buddhist (Taiwan), and Christian (America) and that they are bound by political ideals even as they celebrate different religions.
Posted by Orrin Judd at October 25, 2002 10:49 AM