tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-830267878475267232024-02-08T12:36:59.440-08:00Wandering JudeUngatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-2099031174258940842011-11-09T16:43:00.000-08:002011-11-09T17:07:32.990-08:00Beloved Dissident<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowrevisions/> <w:donotprintrevisions/> <w:donotshowmarkup/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:donotshowinsertionsanddeletions/> <w:donotshowpropertychanges/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:enableopentypekerning/> <w:dontflipmirrorindents/> <w:overridetablestylehps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">In 1998, Laurel West wrote a novel entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Beloved Dissident</span> and published by Messianic Jewish Publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Many of the characters in this Christian romance novel are Jewish, including Leah Beaumont (the main character, who is the granddaughter of a Holocaust victim) and David Rothman. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">It is clear that the Beaumont family is Jewish because they celebrate Hannukah, including a gift exchange, lighting of the candles, and playing with dreydls and gelt.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They seem to be somewhat observant as well.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>At one point Leah says, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Mama rarely cooks on the Sabbath, but only on the day before."</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But about one third of the way through the book we discover that Leah is a Messianic Jew.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"The Messiah," she says, "is peace. And we've rejected him." [David Rothman’s] eyes widened. "Rejected? You... Don't tell me you think..." "I know. Yeshua -- Jesus -- is the Messiah of Israel." Revulsion stabbed his abdomen."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">David thinks about Leah's belief in Jesus:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"If Leah, from the beginning, had been dangerous, now she was worse -- a deception. A girl of the Covenant who bowed to Jesus, to three gods..... How does a person come to believe a lemon is an orange, he thought, or more unlikely, a plum? Someone's fed it to her with sugar.... Who had sold her this?" </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Leah tells David about her family's belief in Jesus:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"She said she had heard about him [Jesus] all her life. "The time came to decide: Messiah, or liar." "All your life," David said. She told him about an adoptive grandfather, a devout Catholic, and a "believing" grandmother, an observant Jew -- contradictory terms, he thought, if he understood her meaning. She said her father had accepted Yeshua's claim at age twelve, six years after the decision of his mother. "So it came through your father -- and his stepfather." ... Leah ... told [him] that her mother, nee Miriam Eppelman, had in her late teens, also "came to Yeshua" and "by the grace of God" later persuaded her older brother Joseph, an ordained rabbi, to believe as well. Their parents, because of it, disowned them both, and Grandfather Eppelman had died just three years ago without forgiving either one. David supposed Leah had been reared … Catholic, and said so, the words strange in his ears. "I did not choose Catholicism. I chose Yeshua." "Not Catholic, not Jewish..." She turned to him, kindled. "I am a Messianic Jew." "Leah," he whispered, " you worship a convicted insurrectionist, executed two thousand years ago. How can you call yourself any kind of Jew?"</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> </span>Leah responds by reading to him from the New Testament.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"He claims he's in the Torah," David said, revolted. "Everywhere Messiah's foretold: humble servant, conquering king." He wanted to laugh. "Conquering king?" "When he comes back." "From what? Death?" "That he's done." "So rumor has it," he said.... "Would you die for a rumor?" she asked. Only if I were unspeakably gullible, he mused without answering. "Thousands died for believing Yeshua had returned from death," she said. "Thousands died rather than believe it," he told her, laying a hand on her wrist.... "I'll pray for you," she said."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Leah tells David that Elohim in Hebrew is plural, and that Echad means a <span style="font-style: italic;">"plurality in unity -- like the temple's golden lamp stand, several in one. Like water, revealed as vapor, revealed as ice; god, revealed as Spirit, revealed as Son.... she showed him that he had not loved his God with all his heart as the Shema told him to do, nor had he kept the Law. Chatah, the falling short, she said -- that's why he needed mercy; so did she. The psalmist, quoting God, declared none good -- not one. And only blood atones."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Isaiah 52:13 through Isaiah 53:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"he remembered asking Rabbi Feingold about it. He was a boy again, twelve. "who is this man who was so badly treated?" he had asked. "It is symbolic, the 'he'" the rabbi had told him. "It is the Jewish people, and it is prophetic. It foretells the Inquisition, the pogroms, the holocaust."</span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Leah invites David to her family's Seder.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Some other messianic Jews were there, Ben Epstein and Mel, Art, and Esther Greenburg. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>David thinks, <span style="font-style: italic;">"It had been a distortion of the ceremony he knew, unchanged in form but explained to him in terms of "Yeshua the Messiah's" presence in nearly every part of it. He felt remiss before God, as if he had not celebrated it at all but had been shanghaied instead into some unreal world where scenes were shrunken or stretched, torn away from the old traditions and tossed to him in pieces to be sewn back together, if he could find a way."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">David goes to a church to seek healing for his stutter.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">"Do you want to trust Jesus with this, David? the pastor asked gently. "is that why you've come forward?" David nodded. "You know him, then, as your Savior?" The implication was ridiculous. How could he know a man who had lived and died 2000 years ago? Or even one supposedly alive again in heaven? If the question was, did he accept Jesus as the Messiah, well, if he could heal him today as he had the blind man in the story, he, David, would concede that he, Jesus, was, indeed, the Anointed One of God. This was Jesus' chance. He nodded." </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">David visits Israel and has many conversations with his rabbi, who is a family friend.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The rabbi tries to dissuade him from believing in Jesus by several different lines of argumentation. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">In Israel, David hears a group of people singing and talking about "HaMashiach."<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"It was when the tenor had stepped forward to tell ... of his "coming to know Yeshua, Jesus, God's Anointed, whom Moses called a prophet like unto himself" that one of the men in black … interrupted in a resounding voice. "Blasphemy! There ought to be a name for you." ... "There is, sir." ... "I am a Messianic Jew, a believer in the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31. Do you believe the Bible?" "I believe you are a heretic," came the even reply. "You come from the States? Go home.""</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> </span>One of the Hasidim spits at the Messianic Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Later, David describes to Leah how he spoke with two sabras that he met at the outdoor meeting and how they explained many messianic prophecies, the Jewishness of the New Testament, and the Jewishness of the early Christians to him. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Soon after, David becomes a believer. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">David, now a new believer in Jesus, speaks of his rabbi's "spiritual blindness." </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Leah decides to marry David instead of her gentile friend Jon, because of<span style="font-style: italic;"> "the bond that David shared with her in the culture and the blood of their people, and in God's promise that their race would not perish before the Messiah came in triumph." </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"></span>David's mother, when learning of his plans to marry Leah, says:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"You'd turn your back on everything you are?" "What am I, Mama?" "The girl has sold her heritage." "The girl is the most Jewish person I know." Her hand moved swiftly, striking his cheek.... She sat down, stunned. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry."... Later, after David tells his mother about his plans to become a missionary to the Jewish people, she "lashed with all her strength. "There is as much chance that you are the Messiah as that Yeshua is." She spit the name and called it lunacy, to go where, even now, he might be killed." </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Wandering Jude comments:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">This novel is typical of the genre in many ways.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A Jew is confronted with Messianic Jews who “witness” to him.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He rejects the gospel, at first.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He goes through much inner conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Eventually he gives in and accepts Jesus as his Savior.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He is rejected by his family for his new beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He becomes a missionary to the Jews.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">In other words, the writing might be semi-lively, but the plot is trite and hackneyed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There is nothing new here that we have not seen hundreds of times before.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Some of it seems like it might have happened, but much of it feels contrived.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Wandering Jude is not impressed.</span></p>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-66475950984087990412011-03-21T17:39:00.000-07:002011-03-21T18:03:40.727-07:00The Zion ChroniclesWandering Jude returns to Bodie Thoene's series of books entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">The Zion Chronicles</span>. I've talked about the books <span style="font-style: italic;">A Daughter of Zion</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Gates of Zion</span> already, but believe me, there are many more books that Ms. Thoene has written where Jews figure prominently (and often convert to Christianity). These include <span style="font-style: italic;">Jerusalem Interlude</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Key to Zion</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">A Light in Zion</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Return to Zion</span>. And then there is <span style="font-style: italic;">The Zion Legacy</span> series, which includes such winners as J<span style="font-style: italic;">erusalem's Heart</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Jerusalem Vigil</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Thunder from Jerusalem</span>. Oh, and then there's another Thoene series of Christian books with Jewish characters, this one known as <span style="font-style: italic;">Zion Covenant</span>! Some of the books in this one include <span style="font-style: italic;">Prague Counterpoint</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Warsaw Requiem</span>. Will it never end, Ms. Bodie Thoene?<br /><br />Wandering Jude thought about quoting extensively from these books, and making snarky comments, but he wearies of the task at hand. Better for the gentle reader to simply ignore these books. They are not bad as far as storytelling goes, but the underlying message is what is disturbing to WJ and all free-thinking human beings.Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-29139605612041378252010-12-26T11:42:00.000-08:002010-12-26T12:03:30.833-08:00While We're Far ApartLynn Austin, <a href="http://wanderingjude.blogspot.com/2007/12/wings-of-refuge.html">who has been mentioned</a> in my ramblings before, has written a new book: <i>While We're Far Apart</i>, published by Bethany House.<i> </i> The story deals with two characters, a young woman (Penny Goodrich) and an older man (Jacob Mendel) whose lives intersect during World War II. Jacob Mendel is an Orthodox Jew, who is bitter toward God because his wife has recently died and whose son and daughter-in-law are trapped in Europe during Hitler's war against the Jews. Penny is not Jewish, but her life intersects with members of the Jewish community in a variety of ways that are not unusual given that this is Brooklyn during the 1940s. <div><br /></div><div>The book covers themes like anti-Semitism, Jewish-Christian relations, young love, closed adoptions, family secrets, and alienation. Wandering Jude is thankful that the Jewish characters in this book (including Jacob Mendel) are treated with respect and dignity. They are not perfect, but then again neither are the Christian characters. There are no "bizarro" evangelicals who engage in long and successful theological disputations with Jews. There are no "Apostle Paul" type of Jews who begin the book as antagonists toward Christianity and end it as converts to the Christian religion. Yes, there is a relatively minor Jewish character who "off stage" (and in the past) becomes a Christian, but this event is integral to the plot of the book and is not used as proselytizing propaganda by the author. To put it another way, thank you Lynn Austin for writing an evangelical-oriented book about Jews and Christians that doesn't denigrate in any way the Jewish religion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wandering Jude will sleep well tonight.</div><div><br /></div>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-17681351691954101502010-12-01T13:39:00.000-08:002010-12-01T13:40:47.547-08:00The Bone Box<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:enableopentypekerning/> <w:dontflipmirrorindents/> <w:overridetablestylehps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">The Bone Box, by Bob Hostetler, published by Howard Books (a division of Simon and Schuster), is a slightly suspenseful story about an antiquities discovery in Jerusalem that supposedly will prove the resurrection of Jesus.<span style=""> </span>It's written from a clearly evangelical point of view, and there are a variety of Israeli Jewish characters (none of them really main characters), but what Wandering Jude really liked about this book is that it lets Christians be Christians and it lets Jews be Jews.<span style=""> </span>In that way it sets itself apart from so many evangelical novels.<span style=""> </span>There are no conversions from Judaism to Christianity in this book, and the Israeli characters all seem fairly three-dimensional and lifelike.<span style=""> </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thumbs up from Wandering Jude.<br /></p>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-68924473479782813672010-11-16T17:42:00.000-08:002010-11-16T17:45:45.834-08:00The Shiloh Legacy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:enableopentypekerning/> <w:dontflipmirrorindents/> <w:overridetablestylehps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">In the early 1990s, Bodie Thoene wrote three evangelical Christian novels in a series called “The Shiloh Legacy,” which details the lives of various people during the Great Depression and World War II.<span style=""> </span>Two of the characters in this series<span style=""> </span>are Jewish:<span style=""> </span>Max Meyer and his cousin Trudy.<span style=""> </span>While it is strongly implied that both characters convert to Christianity during the course of the novels, it is never explicitly discussed.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The books in question are <span style=""> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">A Thousand Shall Fall</span>,<span style="font-style: italic;"> In My Father's House</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Say to This Mountain</span>, all published by Bethany House.<span style=""> </span>Here is a sampling from <span style="font-style: italic;"> In My Father's House</span>:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"Bubbe Fritz did not approve of this because Irene was definitely not Jewish.<span style=""> </span>But tonight at the sight of her, Bubbe Fritz said in a kindly tone, "Well, so Max's little shiksa has come to make sure he is not a casualty in the last hour.<span style=""> </span>Nu!"<span style=""> </span>...<span style=""> </span>"I don't want to hear such things [about Max marrying a Gentile]!<span style=""> </span>He'll get over her!" ...<span style=""> </span>"Is this what we came to America for?"<span style=""> </span>Trudy did not say that she believed this was the best part of America....<span style=""> </span>A girl from the Irish neighborhood falling in love with a tall handsome Jewish boy from Orchard Street." (pp. 86-87). </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">Later in the book, </span>the family is upset about Max and Irene (an Irish-American woman) planning on getting married.<span style=""> </span>"Bubbe would weep loudly and slam doors.<span style=""> </span>Zeyde would cluck his tongue and blame himself because he had let everything go to pot the moment he kept his store open on Shabbat." (p. 148). </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Trudy says to Max:<span style=""> </span>"What is it Bubbe says?<span style=""> </span>Tova toireh mikol sechoireh?<span style=""> </span>The Torah is the best merchandise." (p. 156). </p>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-68710039682535007842010-05-31T12:09:00.000-07:002010-05-31T12:41:38.415-07:00The Gates of Zion<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;">Another in the Zion Chronicles series, <u>The Gates of Zion</u>, published in 1986 by Bethany House. finds the fictional Moshe Sachar, an Israeli professor of linguistics and archaeology at Hebrew University, discovering that an ancient commentary on Isaiah interprets the suffering servant as the Messiah. The "truth" finally dawns on him:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"And so," he said aloud. "The interpretation was changed, although the words have remained the same. The ancients knew the prophet spoke of the Messiah. How inconvenient truth can be at times!" .... "Especially when for so long the one you thought to be your enemy is, in fact, your Savior. This is truth, Moshe Sachar," he said aloud to himself. "So what will you do with the Messiah? The one they call Christ?". </span><br /><br />Moshe explains to Ellie (a gentile woman) about how he came to faith in Jesus: <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Then ancient commentaries speak of Him as the final sacrifice for all our sins and imperfections. They speak of His love and kindness and tell us that He alone is the one who can save us from the death that dwells in our hearts.... He died on the eve of Passover, nearly two thousand years ago. Like the lamb of sacrifice, He took my sins and covered them with His blood. He was perfect and without blemish, and He died in my place like the prophets said He would. Then He conquered death. Ellie, He came to life again and is living still, and He has made my heart alive in knowing Him. That is my hope. My belief in fact and truth." "Then you are a Christian?" Ellie asked quietly.... "I am Moshe Sachar, and I am a Jew who believes that the one we call Yeshua is the Messiah. .... He will come again to m</span>y<span style="font-style: italic;"> people and they will know Him for who He is and find pardon and the joy of knowing Him as a loving and merciful Savior."</span><br /><br />Rabbi Shlomo Lebowitz ("Grandfather") talks about religion with an Englishman, Luke Thomas, who says: <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Yes, I see your point. But does it not say in Isaiah . . . I believe it is Isaiah fifty-two, that even the Gentiles will see the Messiah and believe? "Well spoken, Captain," nodded the old rabbi. "But I fear that the Gentiles have made Jesus into a Gentile. And so over two thousand years Jews have been murdered and tortured in the name of Christ. And what does God have to say about that, eh</span>?"<br /><br />Rachel thinks to herself: <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Even as she had struggled to recapture the importance of God in a life filled with horror and betrayal, she had lost the battle, lost her soul, lost God..... "Maybe my heart has always been dead," she said aloud.... She tried to remember if God had ever been real to her or if He had always seemed remote, simply a historical appendage to her heritage. At Hanukkah or Passover, had He ever been near to her? .... The words of her childhood faith seemed to mock her.... How she had fallen! Now neither God nor man could lift her up again." </span><br /><br />Howard (a Christian) says to Moshe: <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"You know all the messianic prophecies. We have spoken of them many times together. ... And yet you never told me why you do not believe in the One who fulfilled those prophecies." ... [Moshe replies]: I have never said I do not believe in Jesus... Although the rabbis do not believe that He was the Messiah, only the ignorant deny that He was a great prophet and great among the rabbis.... I deny those who since the early centuries have denied His Jewishness. Jews have known little of Jesus and have wished to know less." "But why?" Moshe looked at Howard in disbelief. "You are an intelligent man, Howard. Surely you know that the name of Jesus is to a Jew the scourge of God, the fiend in whose name children have been torn in two while their Jewish parents were roasted alive in every city of Spain! .... it was all done in the name of the Prince of Peace, was it not?" </span><br /><br />Moshe continues: <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"But I believe He came to all men who would seek Him. As I read the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53, the Messiah came to heal our sins by His wounds as the final sacrifice. .... I will never call myself by the word Christian, but I understand why the Messiah came into this world, and I believe I have found a truth that is as old as the Jewish people. He does not want our sacrifices, he wants our hearts. The ultimate sacrifice was one He made for us. Jesus did not destroy Jewish law, He fulfilled it. ... I am a Jew, Howard. As do many Jews, I believe in the coming of the Messiah. I just happen to believe that He has been here once already..... I will tell you that I believe that Jesus lives in the hearts of those who really know Him. It was through your friendship that I first saw His gentleness. For this I am grateful."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wandering Jude speaks:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The newly converted Jewish Christian character in this book, Moshe Sachar, is convinced of the claims of Christianity when he discovers that there was at one time a Jewish interpretation of Isaiah 52 and 53 that saw the "suffering servant" as the Messiah. This seems a rather specious argument in favor of the absolute truth of Christianity. Competing sects (as Judaism and Christianity once were) often debate back and forth and then change their interpretations of sacred texts based on how well the debate is going. If Judaism once saw the suffering servant as an individual instead of as a group, then of course it must have been inconvenient to continue with this interpretation once Christianity became the majority religion. Interpretations of sacred scriptures change all the time, in all religions. One example of this in one religion does not prove the absolute truth of another religion.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In this book, both Sachar and Lebovitz express an important argument against Jews converting to Christianity: the persecution of Jews by Christians throughout the ages (though for Sachar this is not an argument against believing in Jesus, simply an argument against calling himself a Christian). Wandering Jude agrees that this is a compelling argument. Why should a Jew join the religion that battered and buffeted his people for centuries? The pathetic counter argument, that Jesus should not be judged on the basis of the evil deeds of his so-called followers, is only partly correct. Jesus the man should not be judged on this basis, but the religion in his name can be and should be. Christianity in theory may have many wonderful tenets, but its history of bloodshed and persecution stands as a testimony to all Jews that this is not the religion for us.</span><br /><br /></span>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-8289681520963283222010-03-26T16:58:00.000-07:002010-03-26T17:12:45.662-07:00A Daughter of ZionAnother book by the prolific Christian writer Bodie Thoene, this one from the Zion Chronicles Series, <em>A Daughter of Zion</em> was published by Bethany House in 1987. Many Jewish characters (mostly Israelis or immigrants to Israel) are featured in this book, including Rachel Lubetkin, a young Orthodox Jewish woman who is helping her fellow Jews bring about statehood for Israel in 1948; Moshe Sachar; and others. Another character is David Meyer, an American Christian of Jewish descent, but he doesn't make a big deal about his ancestry. <br /><br />Sometimes Thoene can be patronizing. Listen to Ellie (an American gentile Christian) as she psychoanalyzes Rachel: <br /><br /><strong>"She needs the kind of love that will help her forgive herself. Nobody can make her accept that love, or really even make her believe it exists until she is ready. She still thinks she can make it all up somehow, that she can personally atone for the guilt she feels for being alive when her parents and brothers died ... And only God's love can heal Rachel's heart." .... "Only the Lord can heal her heart. You can't make it all better for her. She and the Lord are going to have to work that out by themselves."</strong><br /><br />But we're not done with the obnoxious Ellie yet. After saying the blessing for the Shabbat lights, Ellie prays extemporaneously: <br /><br /><strong>"Fill us with love for one another. I pray these things in the name of your son Jesus who died for my sins and the sins of the world. Amen." Ellie raised her eyes to the surprised faces of the old rabbi and Yacov. Luke and Moshe covered their grins with their hands, and David chuckled openly. "Not exactly an ecumenical prayer, Els," David remarked. "A good Shabbat prayer, young lady!" Grandfather exclaimed, silencing David. "So you think the mother of Jesus didn't light the Shabbat candles, David? For a Gentile Christian this is the very best kind of Shabbat prayer. So! I say to that, OMAINE!"</strong> [Later, Moshe says the Kiddush and silently ends it "in the name of Jesus the Messiah."] (p. 145). <br /><br />Why does "Grandfather" seem like a bit of a stereotype to Wandering Jude? Is it just me? And why is he talking about "the great rabbi Jesus"? Listen in....<br /><br /><strong>"Ah, you Christians," chided Grandfather, "You all have forgotten your Jewish heritage! True? Of course true! And so you miss much of what the great rabbi Jesus was speaking of, eh?" "You're right, Shlomo," Howard nodded vigorously. "But you're missing a thing or two as well, you know." (p. 237). The rabbi says, "Don't you know that the first Anglican bishop of Jerusalem was geshmat?" "Hummm," Howard mused thoughtfully. "Is it possibly a Jew who converts to Christianity? A Yiddish word, isn't it?" (p. 238).</strong> <br /><br />More schmaltz:<br /><br /><strong>After Moshe tells Rachel the New Testament story of Jesus and the woman taken in adultery, she says: "How wonderful to have known such a man as this! If only I could have had Him with me at the synagogue last night!" [where she was accused of fornication and harlotry by the ultra orthodox rabbis]. [Moshe responds]: "He was there with you, my love. His eyes are a mirror of mercy and compassion even now. And He longs for every one of His children to see Him and know Him." (p. 327).</strong><br /><br />Wandering Jude doesn't have much more to say about this. So that's all for now.Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-74220727902686802442009-12-30T16:05:00.000-08:002009-12-30T16:26:48.282-08:00Danzig PassageOne of the most prolific Christian writers of our time is Bodie Thoene. Mrs. Thoene has a special concern for Jews and Israel, and many of her books are filled with Jews or Jewish converts to Christianity. We'll start our "study" of Thoene's writings with <span style="font-style: italic;">Danzig Passage</span>, published by the Minneapolis-based Bethany House in 1991.<br /><br />Many Jews are represented in this book, both Israeli Jews and European Jews. This Holocaust-era novel is part of the Zion Covenant Series.<br /><br />A representative passage comes on page 276 when Samuel Orde, a gentile Christian, says to Moshe Sachar: <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Your Messiah came through the root of Israel. He says His Covenant is with you forever, for a thousand generations.... I am so grateful for His love and kindness. I really believe that He considers the people of the Covenant His own dear children. Satan desires that the promises God made to the Jewish people be broken, that you also be slaughtered like lambs. No Jews. No Israel. Because then God would be a liar. Should I not be willing then to die for His beloved people?" </span><br /><br />Wandering Jude will not comment on this passage except to say that while Orde's commitment to and love for the Jewish people is commendable, and his willingness to die for Jews remarkable, his logic leaves something to be desired. For example, Orde (Thoene) wishes us to believe that: <br /><br />(1) God (all powerful in Christian theology) made promises to the Jewish people. (WJ points out that actually it wasn't the Jewish people but Abraham who God made promises to, but let's not quibble).<br />(2) Satan (not all powerful) wants God to break his promises.<br />(3) Satan (not all powerful) wants to kill the Jews, thereby forcing God to break his promises.<br /><br />It is clear to anyone with a mind that if God is all powerful and Satan is not, then God will win the war. But the fictional Mr. Orde believes that it might be necessary for him to lose his life (for the purpose of saving Jews) to keep God from losing face with Satan. Somehow WJ thinks there might be a better way.... (but nevertheless still wants to praise Mr. Orde for his love for the Jewish people. There are enough anti-Semites out there that we need some more Jew lovers).Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-79383279097627455132009-08-22T12:42:00.000-07:002009-08-22T13:28:02.399-07:00My Servant Caleb: A Jewish Boy, a Gentile Girl, a World at WarIn the 19th century, most conversionist novels were published in Great Britain. In the 20th century, most were published in the United States. Today Wandering Jude looks at a 21st century book published in the U.K., which still pales in comparison (in terms of publishing output of stories where Jews convert to Christianity) to its American cousins.<br /><br />In <span style="font-style: italic;">My Servant Caleb: A Jewish Boy, a Gentile Girl, a World at War</span>, published by Monarch Books in 2004, Kerstin Sheldrake has written the story of a Jewish man (Caleb Levine) and a Christian woman (Lady Celia) who fall in love in England during World War II. In the forward, the author describes the book to be "what [she] believes to be one of the first completely Messianic Jewish novels ever written." According to the blurb on the back cover of this book, Sheldrake is a native of Germany and the wife of a Messianic Rabbi in England.<br /><br />We are told by the narrator that at some point in the past "Caleb's parents and sisters had converted to Christianity." Caleb remains an observant Jew but bitter toward (though not estranged from) his parents and the Jewish community that ostracized him and his family. Early on in the novel Caleb observes:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"I'm a Jew; I've been brought up in the presence of God; and there has never been any doubt that God exists. Our knowledge of God is hereditary. If it weren't for God's eternal covenant with us and His protection, we would have ceased to exist long ago."</span><br /><br />Caleb goes on to say:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"I was the great Rabbi Mendel Levine's favourite grandson, the best loved of nine boys. I could recite the Sh'ma, our holiest declaration of faith, almost before I could say 'Mama' and 'Papa'. I was top of the cheder class and my grasp of Torah was excellent, if I say so myself. Everyone expected me to become a student at a religious school and to prepare for the Rabbinate; that is, to become a Rabbi."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"... the worst crime a Jew can commit is to become a Christian. It means denying our faith, our heritage, our traditions, our people, in fact, our very God... It happened six months before my formal rite of passage to manhood, my Bar Mitzvah. My parents told the family that they had accepted Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah of Israel, that they had converted to Christianity. You can't imagine the explosion it caused." They ended up being excommunicated from not only the rest of the family, but also from the Jewish community in that town, even with a mock funeral." </span><br /><br />There is a great deal of British anti-Semitism described in the book, along with German anti-Jewishness that leads to the Holocaust. After many adventures, including marital problems, persecution by British fascists and German Nazis, and fighting in the War of Independence in Palestine, Caleb finally becomes a Christian:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"He asked God to forgive all his sins and shortcomings because of the sacrifical death and blood shed by Yeshua HaMashiach. He acknowledged that he found it unspeakably hard to make this confession, because he had always mocked Yeshua, blasphemed Him, fought Him, referred to Him as his worst personal enemy, and the enemy of all Jews. Then the tears started to stream, endless tears of shame, grief, remorse, and contrition. And his soul crawled to the feet of the One he had once hated and despised.... A lost sheep of the House of Israel had recognized his Shepherd at last."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wandering Jude speaks: This is not a badly written book, although Caleb's conversion at the end of the story is fairly predictable. It is reminscent in many ways of Bodie Thoene's series of historical fiction, although WJ must admit that there is more emphasis on "remaining a Jew" after conversion than Thoene usually allows. Still, the end of the saga will be disappointing to anyone who wants Caleb to avoid becoming a "Messianic Jew." In this way it is no different than the vast majority of books in this genre.</span>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-20521795591616079192009-08-02T20:38:00.000-07:002009-08-02T21:37:16.084-07:00Leah Wolfe: The Converted JewessWandering Jude returns to the 19th century this month to revisit an author we've encountered already: Elizabeth Wheeler, known by her <em>nom de plume</em> of "E.W." In 1894 she published <em>Leah Wolfe: The Converted Jewess</em>, one of three Jewish conversionist novels by this writer (WJ has already examined the other two in previous postings: <a href="http://wanderingjude.blogspot.com/2007/09/jewish-converts.html">The Jewish Converts </a>and <a href="http://wanderingjude.blogspot.com/2007/09/great-beyond-jewish-story.html">The Great Beyond</a>).<br /><br />The eponymous Leah is the granddaughter of a wealthy German Jewish merchant, Hyam Wolfe, and his wife Sarah. Leah's parents, Rebekah and Benjamin Wolfe, both figure prominently in the novel as well. The basic story is quite simple, really. Benjamin and Rebekah leave Germany for London to open a branch of the family business. While living in London, both Benjamin and Rebekah become Christians (separately), and they are disowned by Hyam Wolfe and kicked out of the family business. This "persecution" for their newfound faith means they must downsize their standard of living and that Benjamin must find a new line of work (which he does, by the good graces of a kindly Christian businessman, a familiar trope in Wheeler's novels). <br /><br />Daughter Leah (who appears to be in her late teens) also becomes a Christian, and the three Wolfes in London are happy as kosher clams. (They have fortunately found a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church to attend, with lots of good Christians for fellowship). But old Hyam is having a rough time of it. Not only has his son apostasized, but his daughter in law too, and also his beloved granddaughter. And now he is antsy in retirement, so he foolishly decides to go on a gambling spree (another Wheeler motif) and loses everything (including his estate). Hyam and his wife decide to move to London, where Hyam (at age 70 no less) ekes out a meager living selling jewelry.<br /><br />By chance one day Hyam and his son Benjamin meet on the road and are reconciled. Three generations of the Wolfe family reunite, and Benjamin, now a successful businessman, provides the means for his parents to live out their days in relative comfort. But Hyam, foolish and stubborn as ever, refuses to accept the Gospel message. He even insists on fasting on Yom Kippur as he lays dying, which of course pushes him into "eternity" that much more quickly. But Benjamin holds out hope that perhaps Hyam might have accepted the Savior in his dying moments.<br /><br />Benjamin and Rebekah have a son, whose name is George, but they also give him the name "Christian" at the behest of the local Bishop. As time goes by, the grandmother Sarah Wolfe allows her hardened heart to be melted, and she becomes a Christian along with the rest of her family. When she dies a few years later, the author remarks that her burial was a Christian one (not Jewish) and contained no Jewish rituals.<br /><br />Wandering Jude does not have much to say about this book other than (1) it largely speaks for itself, and (2) it is much like Wheeler's other conversionary novels, which contain large blocks of text devoted to the lyrics of Christian hymns and the theological rants of a Christian evangelist. It's an historical curiosity but not much of a novel if one expects from a novel things like plot and character development. And of course, like most other conversionary stories (especially those written in the 19th century), this one is fairly disrespectful of Jewish tradition, Jewish religion, and Jews in general.Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-949657568169276932009-07-31T13:00:00.000-07:002009-07-31T13:03:04.602-07:00The Vienna PassageOur latest installment on Jewish conversionary novels (with a hint of romance) was written by David Porter and published by Crossway Books in 1995. <em>The Vienna Passage</em> is a “coming of age” story featuring protagonist Toby Burgate, a young man who is British but goes to Vienna to teach English in 1912. He encounters a different world and different cultures, with many Jewish acquaintances but also a great deal of anti-Semitism.<br /><br />In the opening chapter, an older Jewish scholar named Solomon Meshrach is acosted and beaten by anti-Semitic ruffians. As is almost always the case in the evangelical novels with Jewish characters, we feel great sympathy for this particular victim of anti-Semitism (and on the other side of the coin, the reader will probably feel disdain for the anti-Semites).<br /><br />Another Jewish character appears. Lev Beikelman is a Dutch friend of Toby's who is a music student (and who Toby later discovers is Jewish when Toby observes Lev saying the ha-motzi before his meal).<br /><br />And then we meet yet another Jew: Rachel Guntersheim is a Jewish friend of Frau Onkel, the matriarch of the family who Toby is staying with (which is part of a strict Calvinist sect). At Rachel's home, Frau Onkel:<br /><br /><em>"let her gaze wander round, picking out the Jewish items; a nine-branched Hanukkah candlestick on the bookshelf, a few ornaments, a star of David embroidered on a wall hanging, and on the door the mezuzah -- the tiny cylinder that held, Rachel had once explained to her, the verses of the Shema Yisrael, the ancient Old Testament prayer to the one God.... After all, Onkel knew all about the Old Testament. It was Onkel who talked knowledgeably to visiting Saints. It was Onkel, indeed, who had recently spoken eloquently at one of the meetings at the Hall on the subject of God's eternal covenant with the Jewish people, now to be inherited by all the Lord's People who Sought to Do His Will... But then Onkel ... did not hate Jews; he simply could not escape the clear scriptural teaching of their complicity in the death of Christ."<br /></em><br />But this is Herr Onkel, clearly the villain of the book. Frau Onkel, on the other hand, does not believe this about the Jewish people. She is our heroine to Herr Onkel’s poor, deluded Calvinist anti-Semite.<br /><br />Our anti-hero Herr Onkel tells Toby that "the Jews, having crucified Christ, were doomed to suffer and be rejected for ever." <strong>Just swell, says Wandering Jude.<br /></strong><br />As Toby meets more Jews, he begins to reevaluate his attitudes toward them, which had been cultivated during his younger years in England. He had always thought of them as chosen by God but also as inferior since they had "crucified Christ." <br /><br /><em>"... they bore the blood-guilt of the Saviour's death; his blood was on their hands; they had been given a great privilege, and had thrown it away.... Jews were a people with a special need to be saved, who had sinned in a way that other races had not, and were therefore different." "This was an opportunity to witness to an Unbelieving Friend.... He should engage Lev in theological discussion, confront him with the consequences of his halfhearted faith, and lead him to the point where he could make his own Decision for Christ. Lev, Toby knew, needed to be saved, and he, Toby, was the only person around to show him how. And yet there was a simple piety in Lev's voice that stopped him. There was a dimension to Lev's experience of God, even though it fitted no categories that Toby possessed, which Toby could not match. Comparing Lev's straightforward gratitude and rudimentary theology with his own array of biblical learning, devotional vocabulary and mainly secondhand views and opinions, he felt curiously depressed; especially when he realised that his background and spiritual history meant that he belonged in Onkel's camp rather than Lev's. And yet... and yet. He knew, and was not yet prepared to abandon the knowledge, that more was required of Lev than mere gratitude of a benevolent God. He knew that the road to God was narrow, that few found it...."<br /></em><br />Toby tries to explain to Herr Onkel why he loves the music of Arnold Schoenberg. But Onkel responds: <br /><em><br />"'You are saying that this music talked to your spirit, that it moved your heart.' 'Yes, yes!' he agreed. 'It is a spiritual matter.' ... 'So you are receiving spiritual instructions from a Jew,' he said with loathing, 'Opening your soul to one whose people rejected the Messiah.'"<br /></em><br />Herr Onkel turns out to be not just an anti-Semite but a hooligan and vandal, smashing Jews' windows at night and other kinds of terroristic activity. But through it all he was not really a hypocrite because he truly believed he was doing the Lord's work. He ends up being killed by Hans Braun, a Jew who had disguised himself as a Christian and who took part in Onkel's vandalism but later revealed himself to Onkel and murdered him.<br /><br />The true hero of the story is Sally, Toby's American friend (who he has a crush on), who turns out to be an evangelical but a more moderate one than Toby is used to.<br /><br /><strong>Interesting to note that some real life Viennese Jews inhabit this book, including Alban Berg and Arnold Schoenberg. There are no conversions in this book, except for perhaps Toby who learns much about life and realizes that life is much broader than the strict religious sect that he had grown up in. Unlike most conversionary novels that Wandering Jude discusses in these pages, <em>The Vienna Passage</em> gets a “thumbs up.” While trying hard not to lecture his Christian friends, Wandering Jude wishes that more evangelical works of fiction were as nuanced and tolerant as this one.<br /></strong>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-54052854965140303532009-06-20T19:10:00.000-07:002009-06-20T23:33:56.498-07:00A Rose RememberedThe third installment in the "Secret of the Rose" trilogy, <span style="font-style: italic;">A Rose Remembered</span> was published by Tyndale in 1994. This novel takes place primarily in 1961-1962, and involves (among other things) a supposed "Jewish underground" movement in Eastern Europe in the 1950s and 1960s. The book paints a picture of a "second" secret Holocaust (or "silent Holocaust") undertaken by the Soviets (led by Stalin, who else?) and their allies to exterminate the Jews of eastern Europe and Russia. Part of the "Secret of the Rose" series, this book is a continuation of the author's The Eleventh Hour. The bad guys (former Nazis, now KGB and East German secret police, the Stasi) are still after the "Old Testament relics" (Urim and Thummim) that were in "Rabbi Wissen's holy box." (Rabbi Wissen is a primary character in this book as well the previous two books of the trilogy).<br /><br />Continuing character Sabina is told by her mother: "You know I was raised with the traditions of the Torah. So many of the old Jewish ways are still good, even for Christian Jews." .... "You are one of the chosen, Sabina," she said. "Not because the Hebrew blood of our father Abraham flows in your veins, but because you are a child of almighty God. You are a Jew in the full and truest sense of the word, and a Christian because you are a follower and servant of Jesus Christ, our Messiah and the world's Messiah."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wandering Jude asks: Why does all of the dialogue in this book (indeed, in the entire series) sound like speeches? "the Hebrew blood of our father Abraham flows in your veins?" It just sounds so.... pretentious.</span><br /><br />A character named Korsch (part of the secret police) "had his own informers in Stalinist Russia keeping track of Jewish affairs and relics. His personal passion against the Jews found fertile soil in which to grow. He had developed his own department within the KGB to track the movements of important Jewish figures, and he became an important figure in the silent Stalinist purge of Abraham's sons and daughters."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It is true, Wandering Jude admits, that Stalin was an anti-Semite. He killed a lot of Jews. He also killed a lot of other people. WJ doesn't think there is evidence of a massive Stalinist "final solution." But who knows? It's possible that deep within his paranoid brain, Stalin really wanted to wipe out "the Jews." We'll never know for sure.</span><br /><br />Re: escaping from the Soviet bloc. "But those of Abraham's lineage had not been destined to an easy time of it, not since Egypt, Assyria, and Babylonia had risen up against the people of Moses, David, and Daniel. The purge of Joseph Stalin against them, though quieter and kept from the world's eyes, continued what his archenemy Adolf Hitler had begun and proved equally horrific in its result. Jews, therefore, were all the more desperate to escape, yet had to measure their moves with the greatest care and caution. Identities still were kept close track of. Danger still lurked in unseen corners... Spiritual famine continued to enslave the land, and the sons of Jacob sought refuge, both in the West and in their own newly created homeland of Israel."<br /><br />"Where they had come from, where they had been for the better part of two millennia, only the Father of Moses and the prophets could know. That two of their twelve tribes had survived as a recognizable people among the world's races for all that time was a miracle of clear supernatural intent.... Their persecutors numbered legion. Yet the children of the ancient Hebrew God survived, flourished, and outlived them all. Titus was dead. Hitler was dead. Stalin was dead. But the people of Judah and the Levites lived, in the land now known as Palestine. The four-thousand year old covenant given to Abraham once more had visual substance and reality in a place called Israel."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is sort of a melodramatic way to talk about Jewish history, but yes, even WJ will confess that the story of the Hebrews/Jews/Israelis is pretty amazing.</span><br /><br />Sabina says: "[One of Rabbi Wissen's daughters] and I lived with one another for a while [in the 1950s]. We had many lengthy talks about God, and especially about Judaism and Christianity. She eventually came to accept Jesus as the true Messiah, became a Christian, and became involved with us in the Network of the Rose." [the secret underground movement].<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Conversion to Christianity is, of course, the final solution to the Jewish problem, as almost all evangelical conversionary novels will testify.</span><br /><br />Sabina states: "We have been chiefly concerned with Jews, because of Rabbi Wissen, of course, and my own Jewish blood. Our mission, besides helping Jews in trouble, has been to get information to the free world about the plight of our people in the Soviet Union."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Like Wandering Jude pointed out in the other novels written by Michael Phillips in this trilogy, the author seems to have an obsession about "Jewish blood." WJ's response is this: "If you prick me, do I not bleed? And will my blood not be as red as anyone else's, no more, no less?" The focus on "Jewish blood" and the "Jewish race" cannot be healthy, even if one is ostensibly a Philo-Semite. First, the enemies of the Jewish people will use it against us. Second, there is no scientific evidence for "Jewish blood." And third, there has been a fair amount of intermarriage, conversion (to Judaism), and so forth, throughout the ages, that any talk of the Jewish race should have been put to rest a long time ago. Just look at how different Askenazi Jews look as compared to Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews. We're a people and a civilization, not a race. Let's encourage the enrichment of our "gene pool" through adoption, intermarriage, and completely voluntary conversion to Judaism. If a celebration of the "Jewish race" leads to anything, it leads to racism, anti-Semitism, and Tay Sachs disease.</span>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-27086977503399775022009-03-27T17:04:00.000-07:002009-05-11T18:54:29.472-07:00Escape to FreedomMichael Phillips published his second installment of "The Secret of the Rose" trilogy in 1994, entitled <em>Escape to Freedom</em>. Most of this adventure and suspense-filled book takes place in 1961-1962. Several Jewish characters are included in this novel. Like the other books in this series, this novel imagines a secret network of Jews (and some Christians) called "The Rose" and also a secret plot by Communists in the Soviet Union and throughout Eastern Europe (including East Germany) to kill Jews and Christians.<br /><br /><br />There are many mentions of "Jewish blood" throughout the book: one character (Stoidovich, who is apparently both Jewish and a Christian) "had changed his name" but "nothing could change his [Jewish] blood." There's another reference too: "... whose wife shared the rabbi's Jewish blood." And still another: "... Jewish blood flowing through his veins"; "He was not a Russian -- he was a Pole, a Jew, with a proud heritage. The blood of the ancients flowed through him." And yet still another: The character Joseph thinks of himself as "a Jew by blood."<br /><br /><strong>Wandering Jude thinks that maybe "Jewish blood" is important to the author, yes? Perhaps he has some flowing through his veins (and therefore feels the need to emphasize this idea of Jewish blood in the novel)? In any event, WJ wants to make it clear that the concept of Jewish blood is bad form these days. Smacks of Hitler and his minions. And besides, there are so many conversions to Judaism today that talking about Jewish blood is misleading at best, and demeaning at worst.</strong><br /><br /><em>"A certain Heziah Wissen, faithful husband, father, rabbi, and Jewish man of God, now found himself chosen the unwitting, though no less diligent and resourceful , protector of the ancient spoil from the Most Holy Place of Jerusalem."</em> [the ancient relics called "Urim and Thummim"].<br /><br /><strong>Like Hitler himself, some of these Jewish conversionary narratives have an obsession with ancient Israelite relics and their supposed magical powers. Strange....</strong> <br /><br />One chapter is entitled "A Son of Jacob," referring to a character named Joseph ben Eleazar (also known as Joseph Aviz-Rabin, also known as Leon Tsankov. Lots of false names and intrigues in this series of books).<br /><br />Another chapter is entitled "A Daughter of Israel," referring to a character named Ursula Wissen. Ursula Wissen <em>"was a Christian now, it was true. Yet her Jewish heritage and upbringing remained a vital part of her life and would always be an intrinsic part of everything she was as a person." </em><br /><br /><em>"His father had wanted him to marry the rabbi's daughter from the time he was ten or twelve. He had never been told the exact day or year when the two men had arranged it. .... It was not the way of all Jews during the changing times .... But it was the way of his family, for his father Eleazar was a Hasidic Jew, of the tribe of Judah -- Hasidic and orthodox in family matters, as was the rabbi."</em><br /><br /><em>"Unfortunately, after the war Stalin's persecution took over where Hitler's had ended. Out of the multitude of races in Russia, only the Jews were singled out for such brutal persecution. Only the Jews were required to have their race printed on thier identity cards. The Hebrew language was banned. While other churches were allowed to remain open, synagogues were shut down. Thirty to forty thousand of the best intellects in the Russian Jewish community -- poets, scholars, professors, writers, rabbis -- were eliminated in the first wave of Stalin's silent postwar holocaust.... Millions of his fellow Jews [were killed by Stalin]. Happily, after Stalin's death in 1953 the persecution gradually lessened, though it continued still."</em><br /><br /><em>"Joseph was silent. The great dividing wall of difference between himself as a Jew and the others as Christians had at last been spoken. Palacki sensed what he was thinking. "When I called you brother earlier," the young pastor said, "I truly meant it. You and I have the same Father -- Yahweh, the Lord God Almighty. That we differ on the status of our mutual brother Jesus -- I call him the Christ; you call him rabbi -- that excludes neither of us from God's family; it only means that we are brothers who are in disagreement." "A rather serious disagreement, would you not admit?" asked Joseph. "Perhaps. I cannot be the judge of that. Then again, perhaps not such a serious disagereement. Only God knows. In any even, perhaps our mutual father has sent you to us so that you may come to know Jesus not merely as rabbi, but as the Christ, as we know him. "I think I have been sent here so that you could help me get to Berlin," remarked Joseph, not with sarcasm but with wit."</em><br /><br /><em>"I have been the subject once or twice," Joseph resumed, "of what I believe some of your people call witnessing. It has always been a most unpleasant experience." "An unfortunate Americanized version of evangelism that has spread even to our part of the world in spite of Communism. Yes, I know what you mean." "I feel more the object of condemnation and judgment than the love which they say is their motive." "Speaking for myself," replied Palacki, "I have no desire to convert any man to my or any way of thinking. You cannot imagine a man less desirious of proselytizing than I."</em><br /><br /><strong>Somehow, Wandering Jude doubts Pastor Palacki's expressed intentions here.</strong> <br /><br />Pastor Palacki goes on to explain that he only wants to share his ideas about freedom from bondage, which only comes through knowing Christ. Anything else is only "a religion rather than a personal experience in growth toward intimacy with God" or "ultimate truth." "That is where your own people have erred. Not erred, as I said before, by deception, but erred from incompleteness. Jesus was sent by God, to you, to the nation and children of Israel. To be a full and complete Jew requires entering into the intimacy with God as your Father that Jesus came to bring the world. Without that intimacy, God remains but the Old Testament judge and lawgiver.... Yours remains, therefore, an incomplete relationship with him." "Jews must be Christians ... in order to be complete and fulfilled Jews." ...<br /><br /><strong>Ah, thinks Wandering Jude, the truth comes out. Jews are "incomplete" without Jesus, says Pastor Palacki. And unfulfilled. A pity.</strong><br /><br /><em>"Don't you see," Palacki went on excitedly, "you have an opportunity that a physical Gentile like myself will never have -- the opportunity to be a full Jew and a full Christian both, a fulfilled and complete man of God in every way."</em><br /><br /><em>"... the Old Testment Scriptures offer only a faint and distant portrait." Joseph thinks to himself: "What if Christianity was true after all!"</em><br /><br /><strong>Self-doubt always strikes the unbelieving Jew in these novels before the light shines into their hearts. As we shall see.</strong><br /><br /><em>"Slowly Joseph slipped ... to his knees on the floor.... He had been taught to pray as a child. He knew all the formulas, all the words of rote memory. "Joseph admitted to himself that Jesus was the Christ." "As I have thought of myself till now as a son of Jacob and Judah, make me now your son, and teach me to call you Father."</em><br /><br /><em>Joseph asks his new friends, "Was there some ritual to perform, some rite, some prayer? He knew about baptism, he said, but obviously he could not be baptized here and now.... "In short, I want to bring fulfillment to the faith of my fathers. I want to become a complete Jew, an acknowledged believer in the Messiah that God sent."</em><br /><br /><em>"Joseph had seen with his own eyes evidence of a 2nd Holocaust in the Soviet Union, perhaps on a smaller scale than Hitler's Holocaust but still just as deadly. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Jews were killed under Stalin. Joseph had even seen a photograph that indicted a young Nikita Khrushchev as one of the ones responsible for killing Jews."</em><br /><br />In the end, Ursula and Joseph (who had been betrothed to each other for many years) were reunited after Joseph escaped from East Berlin (along with others) through a hidden tunnel. Ursula and Joseph were married in a ceremony by a minister and a rabbi (Ursula's father, who had also become a Christian) in a Jewish ceremony. In addition, Matthew and Sabina were also married after being reunited. Thus, this is a love story as well as an adventure story and a Holocaust narrative.<br /><br /><strong>Wandering Jude has some final words. First, it's unlikely that a rabbi would perform an interfaith marriage in 1962. Possible, but unlikely. Second, despite its "uncovering" of Stalin's plot (aided by a young Khrushchev) to kill the Jews, this novel is anything but philosemitic. As is usual for conversionary stories, this novel treats Jews as unfulfilled in their religion and branded by their bloodline. The author needs to rethink his views of Judaism (vis-a-vis evangelical Christianity), and he needs to read <em>The Myth of the Jewish Race</em> by Raphael Patai. Judaism (or Jewishness) is not a bloodline. It is, to quote Mordechai Kaplan, an evolving religious civilization.</strong>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-33238349483217764002009-02-21T18:18:00.000-08:002009-02-21T18:58:37.683-08:00The Eleventh HourWheaton, Illinois-based evangelical publisher Tyndale House published Michael Phillips' <span style="font-style: italic;">The Eleventh Hour</span> in 1993. Part of the "Secret of the Rose" series, this Holocaust era book contains several Jewish characters, including Rabbi Heziah Wissen and Jakob Kropf and their families, all on the run from the Nazis, hidden and assisted by Christians in an underground network. The rabbi is carrying with him priceless jewels said to be from the ancient Urim and Thummim used by the Israelites, and other ancient artifacts from Jerusalem (although the rabbi doubts the authenticity of the jewels at least as far as the claim that they are from the Urim and Thummim).<br /><br />Most of the interesting Jewish-Christian "interfaith dialogue" takes place late in the book. For example, one of the Christian rescuers, a baron, differentiates between Christianity and Judaism in his discussion with the rabbi:<br /><br />"So you see, Heziah," concluded Dortmann, "we are engaged in a life of discovery, not the following of a religion at all. Our foundational prayer, the sole objective of life for us, is to discover who God is and then to do what he would have us to -- to obey him once we know him." "Everything you've said, Baron," said the rabbi, "is nothing I would take exception to as a practicing Jew. In fact, from listening to you talk, you could be a Jew -- and a devout one at that!"Baron von Dortmann laughed. "I will take that as a high honor," he said. "To be truthful, I have always considered myself a Jew -- in the spiritual sense." "I for one would not dispute your claim. There is nothing in what you have told me that precludes a Jew -- even though we do not believe Jesus is the Christ as you do -- from an equal partiticpation in that fatherhood you speak of." "It's a delight to hear you, Rabbi. God is our Father -- yours as well as mine. I believe we have a elder Brother, whose name is Jesus, who came to help us know our mutual Father better. The fact that you do not consider him your elder Brother certainly does not make the Father any less your Father than he is mine." "It is not common to hear Christians express such an equable, open-armed view of God's family." "I happen to believe in a wider reach of the Father's embrace than most Christians," agreed the baron. ... "I am convinced that God's arms stretch to infinties of inclusion our feeble brains cannot begin to grasp."<br /><br />"[T]he difference between Christianity and Judaism ... is Jesus, whom we believe to be the Son of God....." "So at root, you do believe Judaism is wrong." [the rabbi queried]. ... "Oh, by no means!" rejoined the baron. "Forgive me if I conveyed anything of the kind." ..... "Then does it not follow that if I, a practicing Jewish rabbi, say that I do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you would reply that you think I am in error?" "Perhaps, if we isolated our discussion to the question of whether Jesus is the Son of God, then yes, I might say I think you to be in error on that point. But it does not follow that I consider Judaism wrong as an entire system of belief. I see no profit to be gained by splitting semantical hairs. Judaism is the father of Christianity. Jesus was a Jew, Paul was a Jew, the entire fabric upon which our beliefs are based is Jewish. Most of our Scriptures we share with you. I do not view Judaism as 'wrong,' only incomplete. Jesus didn't bring a new system of belief; he brought completion to Judaism."<br /><br />And later on, the friendly debate continues:<br /><br />"Christianity is the most practical of all religions, Rabbi. Even ... more practical than your Judaism."<br /><br />It turns out that Marion von Dortmann, the baron's wife, is herself a Jewish convert to Christianity.<br /><br />The baron says to all in his house, including several hidden Jews: "I want, therefore, to take these final minutes we have together to share with you, my family and friends, in the most sacred and holy observance that we as Christians experience together. It is appropriate and fitting to do so, in the manner in which our Savior similarly shared with his friends on the night before he was crucified. For Jews and Christians to come together in one accord at such a time as this, to mutually participate in Communion and Passover, is perhaps unprecedented. I have not heard of such a gathering in my life. But I ask you all, of both faiths, to put aside differences of doctrine and belief for this brief season, and to open yourselves this night to one another, to our common Hebrew heritage, and to our common God -- Yahweh, the Lord -- our Father in heaven. We are all, at this moment, common pilgrims in the Egypt of a dreadful exile. ... Therefore, we invite you, Jews among us, friends whom we love, though you perhaps cannot share in the symbols of our sacrament, we yet ask you to join us in heart, to join us in prayer, and to join us in worship of our common God. We will be privileged to likewise join with you."<br /><br />The rabbi explains the basics of the Passover seder. Then the baron explains the rite of Christian communion. Then, together the Jews and Christians celebrate both Passover and Communion by eating the bread and drinking the wine. Then the baron and the rabbi wash each other's feet, and then wash the feet of all those present.<br /><br />When the Nazis finally come, the baron gives up his life to save the lives of his family and his Jewish friends.<br /><br />"The profundity of the [baron's] Christian faith spoke louder and more forcefully to teach with every passing day. The rabbi had never been able to forget the words from the baron's mouth about Christianity completing and bringing to fulfillment what the law of Judaism had begun. The words had struck him at the time. When combined with the growing significance of the baron's action within his memory, a deep truth began to break through upon the learned rabbi: The baron's very life validated his conviction as to the truth of his Christian testimony."<br /><br />"... the truth [of Chrsitianity] was suddenly authenticated more powerfully than anything he had seen come out of the Jewish law in all his years. Sacrifice of a technical sort was intrinsic to the Jewish system. But not the willing sacrifice of one laying himself down for another. What the baron had done was unheard of. The rabbi had never seen anything like it..... Suddenly everything he had heard and thought he believed, everything he had read and written and spoken about the man Jesus whom Christians called the Christ -- every word had to be seen in an altogether changed light! He had seen a man live the very servanthood of which Jesus spoke, to the very point of laying down his life for his friends."<br /><br />"If the baron then could example -- in a small earthly way, for a handful of people -- the principle of a willing sacrifice giving life, then what might the death of Jesus mean to all of mankind ... if what the Christians had always been saying might possibly be true: that he was indeed the Son of God! How could a Jewish rabbi be thinking such thoughts? Heziah could not deny that all of a sudden everything had to be examined anew!"<br /><br />And here the book ends. The rabbi obviously is reconsidering the claims of Christianity. But no explicit conversion takes place. Not yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wandering Jude speaks:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The whole episode of the joint Communion service / Passover seder is very strange. Very strange indeed! Even under the major stressors of hiding from the Nazis, I doubt that any rabbi worth his salt would engage in such an event. (although maybe the rabbi felt vulnerable and pressured into participating). And the feet washing! What's up with that?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But the worst thing of all, in WJ's opinion, is the baron's sacrificing his life (to save others) leading the rabbi to re-think his views of Christianity. Surely the rabbi had heard of others in history (even Jews! yes, even them) laying down their lives to save others. I mean, it practically happens all the time, especially in wartime. It's a special thing when it happens, but it's not unique in the annals of history. WJ isn't suggesting that we all start doing this. It takes a certain kind of ... situation for it to be the appropriate thing to do. But enough of that philosophizing. The author of this book makes a huge leap and says that since the baron's act of self-sacrifice was so noble and inspiring, we should consider becoming Christians because Jesus was the ultimate in self-sacrifice. Wandering Jude has only one thing to say to this proselytizing message: It's fine for you Christians to believe this, but don't push it on the rest of the world. If someone wants to join your group, fine. But if someone is perfectly happy with their religious affiliation (or non-affiliation, as the case may be), please leave them alone. Philosophical conversations are one thing, but if someone ends the conversation with "no thanks," please move on to the next guy.</span>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-74442857917479160192009-01-18T14:17:00.000-08:002009-01-18T14:30:59.981-08:00My ValentineThis book, written by Tracie J. Peterson in 1997, concerns a 20 year old Jewish heroine named Darlene Lewy. It's a Christian romance novel set in the year 1835 in New York City, so the outcome is never in doubt. Lots of Hebrew prayers and Yiddish expressions pepper this book, naturally. Two Christians, Dennison Blackwell and his son Pierce Blackwell, come into contact with Darlene and her father Abraham early on in the novel. They have conversations of a theological nature from the very beginning. The Lewy family is Orthodox in their observance, observing Shabbat and kashrut and all the other strict religious traditions of Judaism. <br /><br />Early on Pierce says to Darlene: "My father and your father have been discussing the Christian faith for some time now.... I'd be happy to enlighten you..." "I won't hear such blasphemy!" Darlene interrupted. "I won't be meshummad to my people."<br /><br />Dennison says to his son: "You are a Christian, Pierce. You accepted Christ as your Savior at an early age and you've accepted the Bible as God's Holy Word. Darlene doesn't believe like you do, nor will she turn away from the faith of her fathers easily. Marrying a woman who is not of your faith is clearly a mistake. The Bible says to not be unequally yoked with nonbelievers."<br /><br />Pierce's Aunt Eugenia is more concerned about social standing than theology. Pierce says to her: "I will marry for love, respect, admiration, and attraction, be that woman of Jewish heritage or not. I realize the importance of marrying a woman who loves God as I do, and if that woman should turn out to be a Jewess who embraces Christianity and recognizes Christ as the true Messiah, I shan't give her social standing or bank account a single thought."<br /><br />Abraham Lewy's conversations with Dennison have caused controversy in the Jewish community. Darlene's friend Esther says: "I've heard it said that he's talking matters of God with the goyim.... [and] that there are talks of why the Christians believe we are wrong in not accepting their Messiah.... So has Avrom betrayed the faith of his fathers?"<br /><br />Abraham starts to think that perhaps he should consider the claims of Jesus, and he begins attending church on Sundays (while also maintaining his synagogue attendance). He also shares his fear of death with Darlene and how that fear would be abated if he converted to Christianity and had the certainty of life eternal. Darlene speaks with the local cantor (Mr. Singer) about the matter, and he says to her: "He is a traitor to his people if he believes that Jesus is Messiah. He will be forsaken and there will be no fellowship with him. He will become as one dead to us and you will be as one orphaned.... He will surely perish if he turns from God. As will you. Will you become meshummad -- traitor to your faith and people? Will you trample under foot the traditions of your ancestors and break the heart of your dear, departed mother?" ... "Christians have sought to destroy us. They treat us as less than human and disregard us, malign us, and even kill our people, all in the name of Christiantiy. Can you find acceptability in such a faith?"<br /><br />Abraham invites the Blackwells to share in their Passover Seder. At the end of the evening, Dennison and Pierce point out the similarities between Passover and Easter, and how Jesus was similar to a Passover lamb in his death. It is around this time period that Abraham comes to a strong faith in Jesus as the Messiah. He says to Darlene, "Today, I will accept Jesus into my heart.... These long months I have searched for answers to questions that have eluded me all of my life. The knowledge given to me through the Tanakh and the New Testament has answered these questions... It filled my longing and took away my emptiness."<br /><br />Abraham says to Darlene: "I believe that Jesus came to save all people. I believe the faith of my fathers is valid and important, but falls short of a complete understanding of God's love and mercy. You must understand, Darlene, I do not throw away my Jewish heritage to take up on of Christianty. I am a Jew, but I also believe in Jesus. Darlene shook her head. "I don't see how this can be so. I've been taught since I can first remember that you cannot be both Jewish and Christian. I've been taught that Jesus is not the Messiah we seek, for if Jesus was Messiah why did He not set up his Mesianic Kingdom and restore Jerusalem?" <br /><br />Darlene slowly begins to realize the truth of Christianity. Finally she makes the decision to believe in Jesus. One day she touched her mezuzah and "in that moment, it became more than an empty habit. In that moment, Darlene was filled with a sense of longing to know all of God's Words for His people. She glanced back at her father and felt a warmth of love for him and the Messiah she had finally come to recognize. "Jesus," she whispered the name and smiled."<br /><br />Abraham dies in a tragic fire, and Darlene, rejected by the Jewish community for her newfound faith, is taken in by the Blackwell family. Despite rude treatment by Aunt Eugenia, Darlene comes to love Pierce (who had been struggled with being in love with Darlene almost the entire book, and who had been praying for her salvation, and who had been warned by his father not to marry out of the faith). Darlene and Pierce get married and live happily ever after.<br /><br /><strong><em>Wandering Jude says</em>: Par for the course when it comes to books of this genre. Oh, for some originality of plot, character development, and so forth!</strong>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-70783249672876975932008-09-26T17:33:00.000-07:002008-10-23T17:49:04.410-07:00The Unlikely Allies<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PeDZmAFjCss/SQEbJtQpepI/AAAAAAAAAFI/d3vIvH1weTw/s1600-h/UnlikelyAllies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260515693327645330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PeDZmAFjCss/SQEbJtQpepI/AAAAAAAAAFI/d3vIvH1weTw/s200/UnlikelyAllies.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>In 2005, Gilbert Morris wrote another "love story" with Jews and evangelical Christians as protagonists. <em>The Unlikely Allies</em>, published by Bethany House, includes events from 1938-1940 amidst the Nazi invasion of Norway. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Rachel Mindel is the primary character, a young Jewish woman from Czechoslovakia, and the plot has her falling in love with a German soldier who she meets in Paris. At one point says to him, "My parents will be surprised when I bring home a goy." The author must want his readers to know that prejudice is an equal opportunity employer, because the soldier, Derek Gruber, has a somewhat negative reaction from his father when he tells him about his new girlfriend (but we don't hear any pejorative language equivalent to goy).</div><br /><div>Derek is heartbroken when Rachel is sent away (along with her parents) to a concentration camp. Meanwhile, the main character of the book, Mallory Winslow, is serving as a missionary to the Lapps of Norway (but also secretly working with the Resistance). She takes into her house Abraham and Leah Goldstein, along with their children Thora and Abigail, and tries to sneak them into Sweden, where they will be safe from the Nazis. At night Mallory reads Bible stories (from the Old Testament) to the girls. Abraham says to her one night, "I've been waiting for you to tell our girls stories about Jesus. I know you are a Christian missionary." "[Mallory answers] "I've wanted to, but it wouldn't be right. It would be taking advantage." </div><br /><div><strong>WJ: Yes, it would.</strong></div><br /><div>Abraham says that "I can't reconcile the love that I see in people like you and so many of the Norwegians and the hatred I see in some others. So many of you are risking your lives, but there are others who are killing our people by the thousands, and yet they call themselves Christians. Carefully, Mallory said, "Not everyone who calls himself a Christian is actually a follower of Jesus." </div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Wandering Jude comments: Again we have the standard response to what we might call "the Crusades argument." The argument is that Christianity must not be true because so many "Christians" have persecuted Jews. The response to this argument, which Mallory efficiently articulates in 13 words, is that a Christian is not always a Christian. Which is true, sort of. But it's also false. WJ would say that a Christian is always a Christian, but a Christian is not always a good Christian. Nevertheless, Christianity cannot disinherit its bad Christians, just as Judaism cannot disavow its bad Jews. There may be something deep in the bowels of the Christian religion that sometimes leads Christians to become bad Christians. Ya think? (Like, maybe, "blood on your hands," "crucify him!" "synagogue of Satan," "den of thieves," hypocritical Pharisees, and other parts of the New Testament that seem anti-Jewish today, regardless of what the original intent was).</strong></div><br /><div></div><div>"Goldstein stared at her. "Tell me how you feel about Jesus." She was uneasy about coming on too strong about her faith in Christ, for this man was a devout Jew, but she knew the time had come for her to share her faith with him." [She quotes Isaiah chapter fifty-three to him, a standard missionary practice.] Abraham responds that Judaism teaches that there will be two Messiahs, one a suffering servant and one a conquering hero. </div><strong><br />Wandering Jude wearies of all these debates about how many Messiahs, who is the Messiah, where is the Messiah, why the Messiah, etc.. WJ refers the gentle reader to </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/There-Messiah-Youre-Transformation-Provocative/dp/158023173X"><strong>Robert Levine's book on the topic</strong></a><strong>. And let's leave it at that.</strong><br /><br /><div>Our erstwhile German soldier, Derek, catches Mallory and others trying to help the Goldsteins escape to Sweden. In a very un-Nazi-like manner (he's one of the heroes of the book, after all!) he allows them to go free. Later, he meets a woman who knew Rachel Mindel in Dachau, and this woman shares how she led Rachel to Christ in the camp. She states, "God was with me throughout the years at Dachau. He set me free. But while I was there, I was able to share Christ with Rachel. She accepted Jesus as her Messiah and knew such joy!" The woman gives Derek a letter to him from Rachel, which states: "I have only loved one man, and that is you, my dear Derek. And now I go to meet God, and I treasure the time we had. God bless you, my dear. Serve Jesus and love Him."<br /></div><div><strong>Wandering Jude points out that not only is this sequence of events offensive to most Jews, but also that it's extremely unlikely. In this case, fiction is stranger than fact. There is only one thing worse to us Jews than the depiction of a deathbed conversion to Christianity, and that is a deathbed conversion in a Nazi concentration camp.</strong><br /></div><div>Later, Derek is given orders to arrest Mallory, because the Nazis have learned that her father was Jewish. All of these events converge to lead Derek to become a true believer in Jesus. Later, Mallory says to Derek (speaking of Rachel), "I'm glad she came to know Jesus, Derek. That should be a comfort to you. You can be sure she's in heaven now."</div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Wandering Jude wants to make a few final comments:</strong></div><br /><div><strong>(1) Mallory Winslow in the daughter of American missionaries and ostensibly has an American passport. And the Nazis didn't generally arrest American Jews and do bad things to them, for a variety of reasons. So it really doesn't make any sense for the Nazis to arrest Mallory because her father was Jewish. But WJ supposes that it <em>could</em> happen....</strong></div><br /><div><strong>(2) Derek becomes a "true believer." OK, nothing wrong with that, I guess. Anything that turns him away from the Third Reich is OK by me. (But it's unfortunate that Derek gives up his "racial" intolerance for a mild form of religious intolerance).</strong></div><br /><div><strong>(3) Rachel is dead, but it is somehow a comfort to Derek and Mallory that she is "in heaven now." Again, evangelicalism promotes its attraction to "otherworldliness" and its distance from the importance of life here on earth; the sweet by and by versus the here and now. But how do they know for sure that there's a heaven up there, and that it is ruled by the God of the evangelicals? Doesn't seem likely to Wandering Jude.</strong></div><br /><div></div>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-79683650233753059252008-08-07T16:28:00.000-07:002008-08-22T12:45:37.888-07:00The Beloved Enemy<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PeDZmAFjCss/SJu6JoIIlOI/AAAAAAAAAEk/p6axdoD9ml0/s1600-h/books.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231980066674087138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PeDZmAFjCss/SJu6JoIIlOI/AAAAAAAAAEk/p6axdoD9ml0/s200/books.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Prolific author Gilbert Morris, who likes to write historical fiction, penned this novel in 2003 (and published by Bethany House) about a young Jewish woman who works in a New York City sweatshop during the Depression. The protagonist is Kefira Reis; her mother is Rachel, and her brother (serving time in prison) is Chaim.<br /><br />Fairly early on we learn that Kefira's mother is dying. <em>"The rabbi stayed for over an hour. He sat beside the dying woman and held her hand.... he had large beautiful eyes that reflected the kindness in him.... "I will be back. At times like this we must look to the Eternal One for strength." ... She knew that Gentiles were much firmer in their beliefs about the afterlife than Jews. She had once asked the former rabbi, who was an old man, if she would see her father again. He had been evasive and had given her little comfort. He had clothed his own doubt with words she did not understand and left her feeling more miserable than she had been before asking the question."</em><br /><br /><br /><strong>Wandering Jude has a few comments on the narrator's explicit differentiation between Christianity and Judaism and their respective views on the afterlife. WJ notes that, of course, religious understandings of the "world to come" were never monolithic in either Judaism or Christianity. But let's just suppose for a minute that Christians do believe in heaven and Jews don't. Does that mean that rabbis will always fail at comforting bereaved families? The narrator assumes that this is the case, but WJ wonders if maybe, just maybe, there is more spiritual nourishment to be given to the bereaved than just "pie in the sky."</strong><br /><br /><br />As Kefira's mother is dying, her last words to her daughter are: <em>"You have been a good daughter. Learn to love God for He loves you."</em><br /><br /><br /><strong>The first part of this deathbed exhortation sounds Jewish (compare it to the Vayahafta: "And you shall love the LORD your God...."). But the second part sounds Christian ("God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life"). Then again, who is Wandering Jude to question this vaguely religious sentiment? Perhaps the author meant it as a sort of harbinger of things to come....<br /></strong><br />Kefira says to her new Christian friend Josh: <em>"It's my name. I don't often tell a goy what it means." "What's a goy?" "Somebody that's not a Jew." "Bubee? What's that?" "That's what Jews call people they like very much." "How do you spell it? Booby?" "No, bubee." .... She had persuaded Missouri to let her cook a Jewish supper... Kefira knew mostly Jewish recipes and was not sure how the family would like them." </em>Later Kefira teaches the family some Yiddish expressions.<br /><br /><br /><em>"She had never seen a family any closer than the Winslows, and their Christianity puzzled her. She had been afraid of Christians for years, but she had seen nothing but kindness and goodness in these people. I wonder if all Christians are like that. No, they're not all that way, because I've seen some that are cruel."</em><br /><br /><strong>The narrator is setting us up for a "love them into the Kingdom" scenario. Just wait.</strong><br /><br /><br /><em>"Kefira was both intrigued and troubled by the casual yet fervent way Missouri Ann and the other family members spoke of Jesus. She had been raised among people who despised Jesus Christ, so much that some of them simply refused to say the name. The best friend of her father had turned crimson when he spoke of the Christian faith and insisted on calling Jesus "that man."</em><br /><p><strong>The logic here is: Jews hate Jesus. But Jesus was a good man. Therefore, Jews are wrong in rejecting the messianic claims of Jesus (and his followers). In other words, illogical.</strong></p><p>After a church "testimony service," Kefira says: <em>"They all believe so much in God." "Well, of course they do!" Missouri Ann said. "That's what a church is. Do you have anything like that in your synagogue?" "Not really," Kefira said slowly. "I've never seen anything like that."</em></p><p><strong>Wandering Jude points out the implicit message here: Jews who attend synagogue services have no substantive spirituality, especially when compared to Christians who attend church.<br /></strong><br />Kefira and Chaim realize that at the same time that Missouri Ann had come into Kefira's room (at 2 am) to pray for Chaim, that was the same time that Chaim's almost-fatal fever had broken. Chaim says, <em>"I knew God was in it, but I've never heard of anything like this before.... I've doubted God ever since I've been here... But now I don't think I can do that anymore."</em><br /><br /><strong>Sounds like a coincidence to me, but who is Wandering Jude to doubt a miracle?</strong></p>After reading parts of the New Testament, Kefira <em>"wondered, How could a man love those who had beaten him with a whip? I couldn't do that! She read the story again, and the question came to her, Can it be true? Can a person be saved and have his sins forgiven? All she knew of faith was from her Jewish background -- there was nothing like this in her imagination.... She continued to read the New Testament, shocked at how hungry for it she was finding herself to be. She was fascinated by the character of Jesus of Nazareth. He was nothing like she had imagined. She loved the stories of Jesus when He met those who were ill and simply touched them and they were healed. She read over and over again about the prostitute He had forgiven, and how Jesus loved people no matter how bad they were." </em><br /><br /><strong>Again, the reader is led on a path toward an anti-Judaism polemic. Nothing spiritual can come out of the Jewish tradition, we seem to be told.<br /></strong><br /><em>"Josh had been very careful to put no pressure on Kefira, but now after sitting silently for a moment, he said, "I don't want to offend you, Kefira, but one of my prayers is that one day you'll know Jesus." ... "Why would you want me to be a Christian?" "Because I think everyone needs Jesus..... Jesus is all that held me together, Kefira. If it hadn't been for Him, I don't know where I'd be."</em><br /><br /><strong>Josh is a good closer (in the salesman's lingo). He doesn't put much pressure on at first, but when the time is right....</strong><br /><br /><br />Kefira says, <em>"I've been reading about Jesus. There's nobody else like Him in all of history, but have I been wrong all my life? My whole family is Jewish. None of them believe in Jesus." </em><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>"Her Jewish heritage ran deep and the thought of forsaking it, which had occurred to her of late, gave her a pain in her heart."</em><br /><br /><br /><br />After reading about Jesus' attitude toward women in the New Testament, Kefira is struck by the contrast (in her mind) between Jesus and other ancient and even modern Jews. She remembered that her father had told her <em>"that some Jews, when they said their prayers, always added the phrase, "And thank you, God, for not making me a woman." He had shaken his head and told her this was wrong, but Kefira had never forgotten it." </em><br /><br /><strong>It would take too long for Wandering Jude to respond to this canard, but suffice it to say that yes, there is such a prayer in the Orthodox prayer book, but it is culturally based, not misogynist. (And all the progressive movements in Judaism today have removed or changed this prayer). What the narrator fails to point out is that Jesus and Paul and all the other early Jewish Christians probably prayed this very same prayer each morning.</strong><br /><br /><br /><em>"Closing the New Testament, Kefira clasped it in both hands.... How she must have felt, Kefira thought wout a burst of emotion, when He said, "Thy sins are forgiven." And when He said, "Thy faith hath saved thee." ... She felt also a great void within her own heart, for she had hardness there against men and even against God for allowing her life to be so difficult. Now, however as she read of Jesus and His loving spirit and His generosity and kindness toward a sinful woman, she whispered, "How can I hate a man who does such things as this?"</em><br /><br /><strong>Kefira makes a good point (about not hating Jesus), but she confuses embracing Jesus as a good man and as a fellow Jew with embracing his Messiahship. Two very different things.</strong><br /><br /><em>"Oh, Jesus, if this is the kind of a man you are, I cannot hate you any longer." She did not know how to pray, for she had prayed mostly in formal patterns, but now out of her heart came the prayer. "Show me the way, O almighty and eternal God. If this Jesus is your son, make me to know it. That I too may fall before Him and weep as another sinful woman once did."</em><br /><br /><br />After several twists and turns of the plot, Kefira gets lost in the desert. <em>"As the time passed, she felt the lostness of her spirit, and then she thought of death itself -- and what came on the other side of death. The Jewish religion had little to say about it, but she knew that Christians were very positive about heaven, believing that the moment they ended this life they would step into the presence of a holy God and a living savior."</em><br /><br /><br /><em>"Oh, Jesus, I am no better than that woman. I'm worse than she is! I'm just a sinner. But I'm afraid, and I need you. I need you to help me. I believe that you forgave that woman's sins, and I bring my sins to you, and I ask you to forgive me. That's all I know how to do, Jesus." ... "I don't know how to become a Christian," she sobbed, "but I will do anything, Lord Jesus. Forgive my sins and take me to yourself." .... "Is that you, Lord Jesus?" she whispered, and then in the silence she heard no voice. But in her heart there was a peaceful certainty she had never experienced before, and she knew that she had found her Messiah."</em><br /><br /><br />Kefira says to Josh, <em>"I've found the Messiah!" Josh stared at her for a moment, and tears came to his eyes. "You accepted Jesus?" "Yes, He came to me, and He gave me peace. And He brought you to me, my dear."</em><br /><br /><strong>Thus ends this romantic love story, but Wandering Jude is not sure if the romance is between Kefira and Josh or between Kefira and Jesus!</strong>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-65013523253176275292008-07-08T17:28:00.000-07:002008-10-24T11:04:21.581-07:00Divided Loyalties<p><em>Divided Loyalties</em>, by L.K. Malone (published in 2001), is a novel of suspence, espionage, and romance. It concerns a terrorist organization that appears to be Muslim but in reality is made up of radical Jews (mostly Israelis) who are posing as Muslims. </p><p>The two main characters in the book are Giselle Hardy and Raz Chayil; Giselle is a nominal Catholic and Raz is a Jew born in America to Israeli parents. Is Raz a spy, a double agent, or something even more sinister? I won't give that away. But I will tell you that by the end of the novel, Giselle becomes a born again Christian. Raz appears open to Christianity but it is unclear if he has made any decision in this regard.<br /><strong><br /></strong>Early in the book, the Navy chaplain (and evangelical Christian) Samuel Gilchrist tries to explain Jews to Giselle: "Jewish people aren't so very different from anyone else." Giselle responds: "But Jewish people believe differently than Christians do, don't they? I mean they don't believe in Jesus -- not as the Son of God, anyway.... Does that mean they go to hell when they die? Or that they think that we go to hell?"<br /><br /><strong>Wandering Jude notes: It's kind of strange that Giselle, a Roman Catholic, would go to Chaplain Gilchrist, a Protestant clergyman, for spiritual advice. After all, there are generally plenty of Catholic military chaplains around. But it does serve a useful plot device; it sets the scene for Gilchrist to become the hero of the book. He seems like a moderate at first ("Jews are basically the same as everyone else"), but later his fundamentalist tendencies come through. As the reader will discover.<br /><br /></strong>Giselle continues to learn about the Jews from Gilchrist, who appears to be something of an expert on these things (he says with tongue firmly planted in cheek):""But doesn't God love the Jews too?" Giselle asked. "Didn't he give them their religion too?" Samuel's heart ached; he wanted so much to see the light dawn in her eyes. "Yes, Giselle, of course he loves them too. In fact, Jesus came to the Jewish people first, and he perfectly fulfilled the law that God gave them through his sinless life, his sacrificial death, and his victory over the grave through resurrection. The first people who believed in Jesus were all Jewish, did you know that? Did you know that Peter, the man the Catholic church names as the first pope, was Jewish? Most of the New Testament was written by Jewish followers of Jesus. These men did not reject their Jewishness. In fact, the book of Acts shows that they continued to worship in the synagogues and in the temple, that they were zealous for their Torah, viewing Jesus as the completion of their faith." She stared at him. "Then why don't the Jewish people believe in him today?" "There are a lot of things that come into it, Giselle. For many centuries, Gentiles who called themselves Christians attacked and persecuted the Jewish people. A lot of Jewish people died horrible deaths with a cross being the last thing they saw. Jewish people look at that history and believe that the New Testament must teach hatred for the Jew, and that the Christian Lord Jesus could not have been their Messiah." "I don't blame them," she remarked."<br /><br /><strong>So far, so good. Gilchrist seems like a fair-minded guy, with respect for all people and religions. He seems to know his Jewish history too. But wait! Gilchrist also knows that Giselle is the daughter of a high ranking admiral, and he must be discreet and move slowly if he is to win her over to his way of thinking.<br /><br /></strong>Giselle asks: "Would God send a righteous Jew to hell just because he was taught all his life not to believe in Jesus?"<br /><br /><strong>Gilchrist never directly answers this question, curiously enough.<br /><br /></strong>"You're saying that I should try to convert him?" Samuel shook his head. "God is the one who changes people, Giselle. It's not your responsibility. I'm just saying that you might find this friendship gives you an opportunity to share Jesus with your Jewish friend."<br /><br /><strong>Wandering Jude wants to point out that this is an essential doctrine of the Calvinist strain of Christianity: People don't convert people; God converts people. So just wait for the "opportunity" to share Christ with your friends, and God will do the rest.<br /><br /></strong>Giselle asks Raz: "Do you really thank God every morning that you weren't born a woman?"<br /><br /><strong>Now why would Giselle think that Raz, not an observant Jew in the least, would say this daily prayer that only hard core Orthodox Jews pray? Or perhaps it's just a subtle way for the author to diss Judaism? Nah! Couldn't be....<br /><br /></strong>Admiral Hardy says to Raz: ""You're Jewish yourself, aren't you?" "I am." Offcially, anyway. In truth, he wasn't particularly religious. It was hard to believe in a God who could allow his people to suffer so much."<br /><br /><strong>We hear you, man.<br /><br /></strong>""You're Jewish, then," Mrs. Hardy deduced, frowning. "Our family is Catholic, you know." ... [Raz answers]: "I'm aware of that, Mrs. Hardy. Giselle and I have discussed the issue, and frankly, we don't think it's a problem." ... "What about your family?" Dolores asked. "how will they feel about your involvement with a Christian girl?" "I'm sure some of them will be unhappy," Raz admitted. "But my mother and brother won't object, and they're the ones who matter." "you won't expect our daughter to convert if things get serious?" He shook his head. "Nor would I be willing to convert, in case you were wondering. I can tell you what my ancestors were doing four thousand years ago, Mrs. Hardy. I've always been proud of my heritage. I won't turn my back on it.""<br /><br /><strong>Way to go, Raz! You the man!<br /><br /></strong>Near the end of the book, Giselle and Raz get married in a "non-denominational Christian ceremony."<br /><br /><strong>Um, Raz! What happened to your Jewish backbone? Doesn't a Christian ceremony imply.....?? Oh, never mind!<br /><br /></strong>Their first argument as a married couple is over Giselle putting up a crucifix in their apartment. ""If you can put up your mezuzah, why can't I put up my crucifix?" ... "the mezuzah isn't incompatible with your faith," he retorted, his voice tight with anger. "It isn't the last thing your ancestors saw before their throats were cut by Crusaders." She stared at him. What was wrong with him? He was usually very open-minded about her religion. He'd even attended Mass with her last Sunday."<br /><br />Another character (Mared) says to Giselle: "Jerusalem is sacred to both Jews and Muslims. They both lay claim to the same block of land. The religious Jews dream of a day when they can rebuild their temple. The Muslims riot every time they try. How are they going to coexist peacefully?" "But why should it be so hard? Jews, Christians, and Muslims all worship the same God, don't they?" she protested. "Do they?" he asked. "Take a look in the Qur'an sometime. You'll find that Allah bears little resemblance to the biblical God." "Isn't it possible that God manifests himself in different ways to different people? Isn't it possible that he wants us all to live in peace, despite our differences?"<br /><br /><strong>Wandering Jude answers this question with a resounding "Yes!", but unfortunately that's not the author's intent nor the point of the book. But WJ is glad that someone asked the question, anyway. [It does sound a bit like Rodney King, doesn't it? Can't we all just get along? I like that guy, despite his many brushes with the law. There's something ... sympathetic about him. Or maybe just pathetic. But I digress....]<br /><br /></strong>Raz comes close to the gates of Christianity by reading the messianic prophecies that Chaplain Gilchrist had given to Giselle. After reading through these for only a relatively short time, he prays: "Jesus, I don't know if you're who Giselle thinks you are. But if you are, I'll pray to you, too." </p><p><strong>And thus ends our little tale of Jew meets nominal Christian and both become evangelical believers, or at least one does and the other comes close.<br /><br />Wandering Jude ends with these thoughts:<br />(1) An evangelist who seems moderate, thoughtful, and open minded is still an evangelist. S/he is still trying to change your religion. For better or for worse, that's what an evangelist does.<br />(2) For their families, is it worse for a nominal Catholic to become a committed Protestant or for a secular Jew to become a Christian? One might argue that at least they are living "spiritual" lives now. So there is a positive side to it, yes. But the negative part is, at least from a Jewish perspective, that their kids may or may not identify as Jews, and their grandkids most certainly will not identify as Jews. Say goodbye to Jewish continuity.<br />(3) There has been a lot of news lately about evangelical Christians evangelizing too much in the military. Free speech versus the rights of the minority not to be harassed or proselytized. This book sort of deals with those issues, in a roundabout kind of way. But in the end, free speech wins out. And Jews get proselytized. And so it goes.<br /><br /></strong> </p>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-70570007496213663582008-06-30T17:33:00.000-07:002008-06-30T18:02:07.907-07:00An Israeli Love Story<a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/3d/09/18b8a2c008a0edb9196e6010._AA240_.L.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/3d/09/18b8a2c008a0edb9196e6010._AA240_.L.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span>Zola Levitt, who died in 2006, was a prolific writer of non fiction (mostly books about “biblical prophecy”). <strong><em>An Israeli Love Story</em></strong>, published by Moody Press in 1978, is his only work of fiction. (Though it’s debatable whether books on “biblical prophecy” aren’t also fiction as well!).<br /><br />The back cover of the book (remember that it was published in 1978) describes the author as a "converted Jew" who "is presently a speaker and evangelist for the American Board of Missions to the Jews." In the 1980s and 1990s, Levitt started his own organization, Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc., based in Texas, and still in operation even after his death.<br /><br />In a nutshell, here is the plot of the story: Isaac is an American Jewish immigrant to Israel. Rebecca is the daughter of a rabbi. They meet an Israeli "Hebrew Christian" (or “Jewish Christian” -- these terms are interchanged in the novel) missionary named Joshua who shares the gospel with them. Spoiler alert: By the end of the novel both Isaac and Rebecca are converted to Christianity and marry each other.<br /><br />Here’s a description of Isaac early in the novel:<br /><br /><em>"Isaac had been raised in a Jewish neighborhood among Jewish people who lived out their Jewishness to a degree where it became a strange conceit. At a very tender age he realized that his family considered themselves to be the best of all possible races of people, but sometimes he wondered. His uncles almost boasted of their own emigration from Europe -- how they had been smart enough to leave before Hitler's rise to power, and how they had found the society and commerce of the New World hardly even a challenge. They were all very successful in business and the professions, and they almost swaggered in their collective accomplishments."</em><br /><br /><em>"There was a Jewish way to grow up in Isaac's community, and he followed it to the letter, all the while wondering if there were not other plausible ways to grow up. He joined the AZA, a boys' club of Jewish teenagers vaguely dedicated to Israel and the Jewish ideals; and he played a lot of basketball with curly headed, dark-skinned Jewish athletes who whipped any other ethnic group hands down, despite their lack of height."</em><br /><br />Wandering Jude wonders if maybe, just maybe, Isaac is really Zola Levitt?<br /><br /><em>"When Isaac graduated from high school he looked like a "nice Jewish boy." Of ordinary height and build, with dark curly hair and deep-set brown eyes, he was the type of young Jew who faded into any Jewish crowd but would stand out embarrassingly at a Gentile country club. He had that slightly foreign look that Jews possess in every country, including modern Israel."</em><br /><br />Wandering Jude makes a mental note that no blond or blue eyed Jews need apply to Zola Levitt’s Jewish country club!<br /><br />Here’s a conversation between Isaac and Joshua, our missionary-hero:<br /><br /><em>"It's hard to believe," Isaac pressed on, "that getting into this Kingdom of God is so easy. Don't you know how hard our Orthodox people strive to please God? When did it become so simple?" "When the Messiah died," Joshua replied with brevity. "Oh, stop that Messiah business and call Him Jesus! You sound like a public relations man." .... "Well, I'm not the first to call Jesus the Messiah, Isaac. Our prophets did that long ago. He fulfilled our prophecy, you know. That would be very easy to show you." "Well, if he fulfilled our prophecy, why don't our learned men know it?" Isaac almost sneered. "Our learned men don't read our prophecy," Joshua explained, never losing the note of patience and sincerity in his voice. "If you decide to spend your life reading the works of men --the laws, the poetry, the traditions -- instead of the book of God, you can make mistakes. I mean our scholars no disrespect, and I know their intentions are good. But personally, when I read prophecy about the mission of the Messiah and His character, and then I read the life of Jesus, I see that they fit together, and that's all there is to that. Anyone will find the same thing.”</em><br /><br />That’s all there is to that. Yes indeed.<br /><br />We learn more about our Israeli heroine Rebecca:<br /><br /><em>“Rebecca's father, a rabbi, kept every Passover and said the mourner's kaddish every morning and every night, even during World War II. After he and his wife moved to Israel, his daughter was born. "In the next two years the rabbi maintained a real prayer life and communed daily with the Lord. He read deeply in the Law, and he studied the role of fatherhood from the depth of perspective of the Jewish sages."<br /></em><br />The rabbi kept every Passover? Imagine that!<br /><br />Levitt treats us to some interesting descriptions (fictional, of course) of Israeli society. First, we learn about Orthodox women:<br /><br /><em>"Wives of the strictly Orthodox Jews shaved their heads as an act of submission to their husbands, and they wore short, curly wigs and fancy hats in the streets. Rebecca had once been told that this custom prevented the Orthodox women from ever running off with another man -- the would-be adulterer would be turned off by the bald head."</em><br /><br />Then we have a description of orthodox Jews in Jerusalem:<br /><br /><em>"They were proud men, each outdoing the other in the splendidness of the robes he wore and the piety with which he approached the God of Israel. But Rebecca was glad that her father, whose sincerity toward God was exceeded by no one else's as far as she could discern, had not opted for such holy trappings. He chose simple clothing, usually black, that more or less reflected his commitment without being overbearing."</em><br /><br />Next, a description of Sabra (native Israeli) women:<br /><br /><em>"Far from wearing wigs, the Sabra girls let their black hair hang long and free. They were beautiful and graceful, thought Rebecca, who as an adolescent had been envious of their dark-eyed good looks. Her own more European-like features --soft brown hair, light complexion, less prominent cheekbones -- had always seemed somehow inferior, even less godly, against these more pure women of the land</em>."<br /><br />Wandering Jude wonders if poor Rebecca might not get into Zola Levitt’s Jewish country club. Apparently she’s not “Jewish looking” enough. But those Sabra girls. Wow. They really set Zola on fire, apparently.<br /><br />But we’ve been distracted by these realistic accounts of Israelis, secular and religious. Let’s get back to the main point of the story, which is conversion.<br /><br /><em>"Any true follower of Jesus Christ loves Israel," Joshua answered quietly. "My Lord said that He came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."" .... "Jesus was certainly the Jewish Messiah," Joshua answered. "And the Messiah of everyone else as well."<br /></em><br />That Joshua, he is certainly sure of himself. It reminds Wandering Jude of the old axiom, that if you say something often enough and loudly enough, it becomes true (for you).<br /><br /><em>""I have read the New Testament," the inspector said quietly. "I find no fault with Jesus." "Then why don't you come to Him?" Why don't you believe in Him?" Joshua asked with excitement in his voice. Was this Israeli actually going to confess Christ right here and now? Would he be saved, sitting in a police station? "I could never become a Gentile. That's something I could never do. I could never become one of them," the inspector quietly assured the evangelist. "But you don't become a Gentile when you believe in Jesus," Joshua told him, urging him to think deeply. "All of Jesus' followers were Jews. All His disciples and all the apostles came from our people. We founded the first church! We wrote the Bible! How could you possibly become a Gentile by following the Jewish Messiah."" The inspector responds: "I realize that the first Christians were Jews. But now the Gentiles have overtaken Christianity, and they have ruined it. ... I could never be comfortable with Gentiles.... Gentiles kill Jews. They hate us, and they have always hated us." ... Joshua responds: "You could worship with Jewish followers of Jesus right here in Israel.... You certainly don't have to become a Gentile to be a Christian.""<br /></em><br />This exchange between the missionary Joshua and the Israeli police inspector goes to the core of why one missionary organization calls itself Jews for Jesus and why many converted Jews call themselves Messianic Jews. These people feel a fond connection to their Jewish heritage. They don’t want to feel that they have betrayed their people. They want to continue to be Jews, albeit with a twist. And it’s of course undeniable that Jews who convert to Christianity remain Jewish in an ethnic sense, as well as a cultural sense. Whether they continue to be Jewish in a religious sense is where the debate rages. Wandering Jude will not weigh in on this debate here, except to say that the consensus continues to be (in the Jewish community) that Jews who convert to Christianity cannot continue to practice normative Judaism. This is not to say that Messianic Jews cannot use the symbols and rituals of Judaism in their private and public worship. But it is very difficult for Wandering Jude to conceive of Messianic Judaism as the 5th movement in Judaism today (after Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist). Perhaps it's akin to Humanistic Judaism, which also has a marginal status among mainstream Jewish adherents. And perhaps it's also analogous (in some ways) to the messianic Lubavitchers (or "Chabadniks"), who see the Rebbe Schneerson as the Messiah. But mainstream? Not a chance. In reality it's a syncretistic religious movement that deserves respect insofar as it's adherents and leaders appear to be quite sincere, but cannot ever hope to be accepted by rabbis and synagogue members as a legitimate Jewish group due to a multitude of factors, not least of which is the sad history of Jewish-Christian relations.<br /><br />Back to the story. Joshua the missionary appears to be making inroads into his proselytizing efforts with Isaac:<br /><br /><em>"Joshua had the secret knowledge that God's Spirit was working in Isaac's life and that this was the young man's real reason for consulting him. Joshua perceived that their interview had been arranged by God Himself; Isaac was being called to faith in the Messiah."</em><br /><br />Wandering Jude wants to know what this “secret knowledge” is that Joshua seems to have. Sounds almost Gnostic.<br /><br /><em>"Joshua was unlike the rabbis Isaac had known in his youth. They had been remote, busy men, carrying themselves with the bearing of deeply learned scholars. Some were sensitive, kind men, it could be easily seen; but others were hypocrites, Isaac knew."<br /></em><br />Yes, Isaac, rabbis are just like everyone else. Ministers, priests, etc., the clergy are made up of some wonderful people, and some hypocrites, but mostly those who could go either way depending on the temptation that faces them. Jews are like everyone else, only more so.<br /><br />As the reader might have suspected, we now come to the part of the book where our missionary must explain to his potential proselyte about all the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Bible. But he must do it slowly, so as not to push too hard, too fast. He must not rush the Holy Spirit or the potential convert.<br /><br /><em>"He could see that Isaac had been moved by the portion of the message he had heard so far, and that his heart was opening like a flower. But he would not pounce on Isaac, as if he were the opponent in a debate. People came to the Lord ever so slowly, ever so gently -- particularly Jewish people. Joshua could sense that Isaac was ready, but his moment of salvation was up to Isaac and the Lord. Joshua would merely continue to teach the Word of God."<br /></em><br />The missionary describes his frustrations: </span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span><em>""Rebecca, Rebecca.... How stubborn you are! what a true daughter of Israel you are! Stiff-necked, arrogant... I have spent my life doing this, Rebecca. Arguing with my own people for their own salvation. It's not as if I'm paid for this or that I enjoy it so much, believe me. They practically spit at me in the streets. ... "Day and night I watch our peopel suffer, as we have suffered for so long. And I have the solution -- I have the Messiah! But will anyone appreciate what I have? Do they ever give thanks to God for coming here and being nailed to a cross? No, they want to be Jews without meeting any of the requirements for being Jews. They have no Messiah and they have no sacrifices and they have no Temple and they have no faith!" ... "And for centuries we have been punished -- for almost two thousand years we have been punished -- for this terrible mistake, for rejecting our loving God and His suffering Messiah, and it still never occurs to any of us, in our magnificent pride, that something is wrong! Well, that's not what God wants! That's not what we were chosen for! We are a long way from God, and we are paying for it."<br /></em><br />So the story ends, as promised, with two conversions and a marriage. Ah, the "truth" wins out again in yet another conversionary tale. So why does Wandering Jude feel so sad?<br /><br /></div></span></span>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-10735177895315040282008-06-18T05:30:00.000-07:002008-06-18T05:53:09.479-07:00Retribution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Zu2mWYxcL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Zu2mWYxcL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Retribution</span>, the third installment in Randall Ingermanson's time travel trilogy, finds Messianic Jew Rivka, along with her husband, regular Jew Ari, still stuck in 1st century Israel. Ari continues to be resentful toward Christianity:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Ari reached into his belt and drew out the small olive-wood cross and felt the old familiar rage well up in his heart. "This is precisely the difference between Christians and the Jew down the long centuries. Each believes HaShem has called him to his way of life. The Jew respects the right of the Christian to follow after HaShem as he has heard. But the Christian does not respect the right of the Jew to follow after HaShem as he has heard. The Jew allows for the possibility that the Christian may be a true follower of HaShem. The Christian insists that both cannot be right, and shoves his cross down the throat of the Jew." Ari slammed the little cross on the stone table in front of Rivka. "Yes, Rivka? This makes sense to you?" Rivka picked up the small cross and clutched it to her heart. "Ari, Yeshua sacrificed his life for you. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" "And what if I do not accept this sacrifice?" Ari glowered at her. "Moshe did not accept this sacrifice. King David did not. The prophet Eliyahu did not. Will they burn in hell for this failure? If not, then why would HaShem send me to hell for following him in the same way as these righteous men?"</span><br /><br />In this interaction between Ari and Rivka, Ingermanson has aptly described the great divide between evangelical Christianity and Judaism. Jews long for pluralism and tolerance. Evangelicals seek salvation for all and only see one path. With apologies to Rodney King, can't we all just get along?<br /><br />But later in the book, Ari finally sees the light:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> "The cross. For all Ari's life, the cross had been a sign of rage. Christian rage against all Jews, Christ-killers, Jewish rage against all Christians, Jew-killers. The cross was the blood curse and the blood curse was the cross. The cross was retribution. But no more. Ari could never again see the cross as a curse. The cross was Baruch, giving himself freely for his friend, dying in despair because his sacrifice was refused, changing the hearts of all who saw, ascending in glory to the World to Come. The cross was life, not death. A blessing, not a curse. Victory, not defeat. Reconciliation, not retribution."</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> "Deep shame welled up in [Ari's] heart. "Rivkaleh, I too have focused my rage on one man -- a good man who never caused the blood curse. I was wrong to blame him." Rivka's eyes sparkled. "You mean..." "I will think on the matter." Rivka threw her arms around him and wept."</span><br /><br />To his credit, Ingermanson does not end the book (and the series) with an explicit conversion to Christianity. He leaves just enough ambiguity to allow readers of all faiths to be satisfied. Christians will be happy that Ari no longer denigrates faith in Christ and no longer hates Jesus. Jews will breathe a sigh of relief that Ari, though apparently now open to believing the Christian message, at least has not taken the plunge of full blown adherence to Christian doctrine. Of course, it's implied that he will believe in Christ someday, but that's left to the reader's imagination. And this <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> a Christian novel, so it would probably be unfair to require Ari to completely reject Jesus. Nevertheless, unlike many conversionary works of fiction, this one ends without an explicit conversion, which is satisfying on a literary level as well as a spiritual one.Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-27525098185471836682008-05-26T12:30:00.000-07:002008-05-26T12:54:52.307-07:00Transgression<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ingermanson.com/books/images/transgression.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.ingermanson.com/books/images/transgression.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Randall Ingermanson has written a trilogy of "messianic Jewish" novels that are set in the first century. The first, which won a Christy award for best Christian futuristic fiction, is entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Transgression</span>, and was published by Harvest House in 2000.<br /><br />A summary: Rivka Meyers is an American Messianic Jewish archaeology student. Ari Kazan is an Israeli scientist and somewhat anti-religious. Both travel back in time and meet various characters from the 1st century, including the Apostle Paul.<br /><br />Throughout the book, Ari and Rivka have extended conversations about Judaism and Christianity. ""Yeshua!" Ari's face darkened. "That is a fraud. Why not call him by his true name, which is Jesus? You put a Jewish veneer on a Gentile concept. Perhaps you can sell it to American Jews who know nothing of thier heritage, but not to Israeli Jews."" Ari later says, "It is a lie to call a church a synagogue. It is a lie to call a Christian a Jew. Messianic Jews are an oxymoron."<br /><br />Another interaction: Ari exclaims, ""You have heard of Constantine and his forced conversions? You have heard of the slaughter of Jews during the Crusades? You have heard of the torture of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition? You have heard of the strange love for Jews displayed by Martin Luther? You know about Chmielnicki and his pogroms? You think the Holocaust was an aberration?""<br /><br />"Rivka ... had studied the history of Christian dealings with Jews, and it was ugly. Unforgivably ugly. And yes, there was reason to think that the Holocaust was the natural fruit of that history. But it had been sixteen centuries of persecution, not twenty, and long stretches in the middle had been marked by peace between Jew and Christian. Anyway, it was over now, wasn't it? Mostly over. The pope had even declared back in the sixties that Jews weren't responsible for the crucifixion. Evangelicals had gotten interested in the Jewish roots of their faith . The mainline Protestant churches were increasingly tolerant. Only fringe right-wing groups still called Jews Christ-killers. Things had changed. Mostly."<br /><br />It all boils down to this: Rivka states: ""I'm a Jew who believes that the Messiah has come, and His name is --" "Wrong!" Ari shouted. "If you believe in That Man, then you are not a Jew.""<br /><br />The novel is well written and believable (well, if you can believe in time travel). But there are a few minor inconsistencies. For example, Ari hates the Haredim but he prays to God and calls him "Hashem." Why would a secular Israeli pray to God and call him Hashem? And Wandering Jude has some questions about language too. Yes, Ari is an Israeli who speaks fluent modern Hebrew. And yes, Rifka knows some Hebrew and Aramaic from her academic studies. But will they really be able to communicate in ancient Aramaic with their newfound friends in 1st century Palestine? Doubtful. But, after all, this is science fiction, so we'll cut Ingermanson some slack in this area.<br /><br />By the end of the novel, Ari has become more open to Christianity, but he has not yet converted. Oh, and not to give away the plot or anything, but both Ari and Rivka are now stuck in the 1st century without any way to travel forward in time to get back to the 21st century.<br /><br />To be continued....<br /><ul><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"></span></p></ul><ul><p></p></ul>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-6850935823868509002008-04-03T21:32:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:55:47.281-08:00The Sign of the Cross<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PeDZmAFjCss/R_W4NVk7VMI/AAAAAAAAAC4/5CtX-eLPiiY/s1600-h/books%5B5%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185253085256832194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PeDZmAFjCss/R_W4NVk7VMI/AAAAAAAAAC4/5CtX-eLPiiY/s200/books%5B5%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">David Horton's sequel to Legion of Honor, entitled The Sign of the Cross: a Novel, was published by Victor Books in 1997. Our heroine is again Isabelle Karmazin, a French Jew in 1943 who has fled the Nazis and is now in Switzerland. Other Jewish characters also appear in this book, including the Levy children and a Catholic nun at the convent "Our Lady of Zion," Sister Marie-Moises. (In fact all of the nuns that work in this convent were born Jewish but converted to Catholicism).<br /><br /><br />Here is the publisher's blurb:<br /><br /><em>"In prison for his resistance activities in World War II France, Marcel Boussant longs for freedom and Isabelle Karmazin, the woman he loves. Meanwhile, Isabelle is denied entry to America. When she meets Michael Dreyfus, a Swiss Jew, she readily agrees to his dangerous scheme . . . to whisk her off to U.S. controlled territory in North Africa. What she dared not hope for, however, is that Marcel would one day return for her. Historically accurate, this rousing adventure/romance tale demonstrates that true refuge is found only in Christ."</em><br /><br />We meet a new character, Michael Dreyfus, who was born in Switzerland but grew up in America. <em>"As a Jew, he felt a special affinity -- even a responsibility -- for those whose fate was linked solely to their race, his race. It was more than a general need to stand against anti-Semitism. Now that he had witnessed the evil firsthand, it had suddenly begun to feel personal. One day it might be him or someone he loved."</em><br /><br />Malfaire, an evil character (you'd guess that by his name), says to his son: </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span ><em>"Jews aren't like us, Dede. They're dishonest, they're greedy, and they don't even believe in God -- not the real God, anyway."<br /></em><br />As in the previous book, Isabelle again agonizes over how a righteous and all-powerful God can allow so much evil in the world:<br /><br /><em>"For years, ever since her mother died, [Isabelle] had refused to believe that the God she had often heard about -- this powerful yet benevolent supreme being -- could actually exist. If He was so good, then why did He allow her mother to die? And why all the pain? Why didn't He just heal her -- especially if He was so all-powerful? If He did exist, what kind of God could He be, anyway? Her father certainly hadn't encouraged any such belief. Superstition, he called it. Unscientific. A crutch for the weak and uneducated. Even her husband, Adam, was disdainful, especially of orthodox Jews. He simply could not understand blind adherence to some rigid set of arcane rituals. And Isabelle's own skepticism had been reinforced with each new tragedy in her life."</em><br /><br /><strong>Oh, did we forget to mention that Isabelle is a widow?</strong><br /><br />Isabelle is influenced in a positive way by the Boussant family, who are French Protestant Christians. Even in the face of tragedy <em>"their faith in a loving God remained firm. In fact, it had been that faith that had driven them to give her shelter, in spite of the danger. They spoke of their God -- and to Him -- as if He were some kind of all-wise friend. And it seemed so natural for them. How she had wished it were that easy for her." </em>Isabelle is also influenced by the de Rocher family, who are Swiss Protestant Christians.<br /><br />Michael Dreyfus' </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span ><em>"parents had seen to it that he and his sister, Beatrice, were ""raised Jewish," as his mom always said, but their circle of friends and acquaintances was by no means limited to the Jewish community. Nor was their life defined by strict religious observance. They attended synagogue on many major holidays, though not necessarily all of them. And of course, Michael's bar mitzvah at age thirteen had been a day to remember. But when Bea decided to marry a Gentile, the Dreyfuses, proud of their open-mindedness, agreed to the match, provided the children would be "raised Jewish." Michael himself had dated several Gentile girls while at Columbia University. And though his parents had never raised an outright objection, his mother more than once had offered to introduce him to "a nice Jewish girl."<br /></em><br />Marcel tells Isabelle that it is not surprising to find her in church because, he says, </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span ><em>"I say a prayer for you every day.... Sometimes more than once." "Don't you think God will get tired of hearing about me?"... "You're just as important to Him as anyone." "I want to believe that," she said, "but it sure isn't easy.... I still have a million unanswered questions." ... [Marcel says], "But if you're like most people, you'll always have more questions than answers. Faith is more about acting on what you know than what you don't know.""<br /></em><br />Theo says to Sister Marie-Moises, <em>"I wish you wouldn't make it seem so, well, so nice to be a nun.... You said you wouldn't try to make us into Christians. You promised." "And you're afraid Lea might want to become one?"... I made a promise to God to give shelter to any Jewish children He brings our way. And I promised the rabbis that if they trusted me with their children, I would trust their souls to God. I have never tried to make anyone into a Christian, as you call it." (p. 258). ... "Besides," she continued, "you can't force anyone to become a Christian. It's strictly voluntary. "Well, Lea's a Jew just like Victor and me," Theo said, as emphatically as he could manage, "and we don't want to be anything else." "I respect that," she said, as she turned to go. "In fact, I used to think the very same way myself.""</em><br /><br />Justine de Rocher gently but firmly proselytizes Isabelle several times throughout the book. She tells Isabelle that only Christ can solve her problems. At one point she says to Isabelle:<br /><br /><em>"A nation, no matter what its flag, can offer you nothing more than temporary peace and external freedoms, and even then its power is limited." "What are you saying?" [asks Isabelle]. "That I think you want the kind of peace that lasts. You want a freedom that inhabits your very being, that doesn't depend on circumstances. And it's no wonder you've been disappointed. The Swiss cross is all well and good. But it's a very pale image of the cross that stood on a hill outside Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago. Perhaps you've been looking to the wrong one for help."</em><br /><br />At the end of the book, Isabelle converts to Christianity, symbolized by her wearing a small gold cross around her neck. <em>"Isabelle, noticing that [Marcel] was staring at it, took the cross in her fingers and carefully touched it to her lips. "A gift from Justine," she murmured, "to commemorate something else I decided." And then she smiled. "It's why I'm not running away anymore."</em><br /><br />She also decides to marry Marcel, a French Protestant Christian, as opposed to the other man who had shown an interest in her, Michael Dreyfus.<br /><br /><strong>Wandering Jude speaks:</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>This is not a bad novel. Just sort of mediocre. Wandering Jude is not angered by the characterizations of Jews in this book, although as usual, he is disappointed that in yet another Christian novel the Jew converts to Christianity. It's so ... predictable. Even Michael Dreyfus' rejection of Christianity is predictable, since everyone knows that not all Jews will accept Christ, just the good ones. The evil Catholic named Malfaire is also a recurring character in Christian fiction featuring Jewish characters. There always has to be a villain, and in these kinds of books the villain is often a "false Christian" who can be contrasted with the "good Christians." The only surprise in this book is that there are some good Catholics (the nuns), but they are different than most Catholics like Malfaire since they are really converted Jews. And of course the real heroes in the story are the Protestant Christians who lead our heroine to Christ.</strong><br /><strong></strong></span></span>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-61930046643383582562008-03-21T18:20:00.000-07:002008-03-21T18:48:49.865-07:00A Legion of Honor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41iKqJTdYqL._AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41iKqJTdYqL._AA240_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The heroine of <span style="font-style: italic;">A Legion of Honor</span> (written by David Horton and published by Victor Books in 1995), Isabelle Karmazin, is a secular French Jew in 1942 who is fleeing the Nazis (which is what one would expect of a French Jew in 1942). One of the French women hiding Isabelle, Tante Marthe, says to her early in the book:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"God has been good to us, and the very least we can do in return is to offer a small kindness to one of Abraham's daughters." </span><br /><br />In response, Isabelle thinks to herself,<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"And as for God -- well, even if He existed, He hadn't seemed particularly good to her lately. He was apparently more interested in people like Ginette and her family. They weren't suffering much.... No, Isabelle decided, if a good God were paying attention, her husband and her father -- perhaps even her mother -- would still be alive.... During her detention at Venissieux, she had heard plenty of talk about God: from guards who cursed the Jews as "Christ killers," to fellow Jews who suddenly rediscovered religious rites they had spent a lifetime ignoring. She found it pathetic, mostly, and so hypocritical." </span><br /> <br />Wandering Jew says: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Isabelle's cynicism is understandable, to say the least. The Holocaust, today and yesterday, leaves many with the feeling that a personal God, if he exists, was "off duty" to allow such horrors. So most of us who read this book ,whether we are Jews or Christians or atheists, will feel sympathy for Isabelle's character and not judge her for her skepticism in matters religious and otherwise.</span><br /><br />A few pages later we get a further glimpse into Isabelle's psyche:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Since her father had not attended synagogue to speak of, nor had he compelled her to go, Isabelle freely admitted that there was a whole dimension -- the religious side -- of her Jewishness that she did not understand. ... It wasn't that she was ashamed of her heritage, though she had sometimes found it socially inconvenient. She had simply adopted her father's view that there was no place in a scientific world for anything that wasn't, well, scientific. She glanced quickly around the room, expecting to see a crucifix or a smiling likeness of Jesus or Mary -- or both -- as she had seen in other Gentiles' homes. ... She had never understood how people could revere a symbol of torture and death. Or why they insisted on treating as alive a person who had supposedly lived and died centuries ago. Jews might have their weaknesses, she mused, but Gentiles were a study in contradiction." </span><br /> <br />We meet various French and German characters who espouse anti-Semitic beliefs throughout the book. (And, to be fair, we should mention that some characters espouse pro-Jewish beliefs).<br /> <br />Isabelle is a secular Jew, but she's also somewhat anti-religious. She has an interesting dialog with one of her Christian rescuers:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"I have seen far too much suffering to put much faith in Christian charity. Especially when there are some who use religion to justify their hatred." Madame Boussaint responds: "I won't deny that what you say is true. But not everyone who is religious is a Christian. We all have to answer for our own sins."</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wandering Jude notes that Madame Boussaint's response to Isabelle, while somewhat compelling, is also a stock answer to skeptics from Christian apologists. "Not everyone who is religious is a Christian." Of course, what she really means is "Not everyone who is religious is a <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span> Christian." On its face this seems obvious to the average evangelical Christian believer, but from a Jewish perspective it's a cop-out. One can't absolve Christianity for the sins of its adherents by simply saying, "Oh, that person really wasn't a Christian. He just <span style="font-style: italic;">said</span> he was a Christian." This answer is too easy and it doesn't convince most of us.</span><br /><br />More thoughts from Isabelle as she listens to the Christian rescuers pray and read the Scriptures:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Isabelle had to admit that it made her very uncomfortable. It wasn't so much the Scripture reading. She had heard something similar before -- one of the ancient Hebrew prophets, she guessed -- on one of the rare occasions when she had accompanied Papa to the synagogue. But when she overheard the family's matter-of-fact prayers for her protection and well-being, she felt confused and embarrassed: confused as to why they would ask for the protection they were in face providing; embarrassed at the thought that, having just met, they already cared for her." </span><br /> <br />At the end of the book, Isabelle does not become a Christian, but she develops a new appreciation for the religious faith of the Christians who took care of her before she escaped into Switzerland. But reader beware: there is a sequel coming that Wandering Jude will address in the next few days.Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-36077676858893935762008-01-21T19:58:00.000-08:002008-01-28T21:56:38.891-08:00The Chalice of Israel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=BVYGAAAACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&sig=Bn1M1yvnF0FWn25cYZGX1I7oEig"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://books.google.com/books?id=BVYGAAAACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&sig=Bn1M1yvnF0FWn25cYZGX1I7oEig" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>The Chalice of Israel: Four Novellas Bound by Love, Enchantment, and Tradition</em>, published in 2001 by Barbour Publishing, contains two stories (the third and fourth novellas) which are conversion narratives. In "Cup of Honor," Holocaust survivors Leah and Reuven Shapira emigrate to Israel in 1948. While this love story clearly becomes proselytizing toward the end of the novella, there are few hints of this in the main body of the story. The epilogue to this novella states that Joshua Ben Ami (Leah's husband) "came to believe the Messiah had come. Jesus had poured out His blood for them as the cup's inscription said. Joshua gave his heart to Christ, and Leah soon followed him. They believed the Son of God would come again and bring peace to the land of Israel." (p. 250). </div><div> </div><br /><div>The fourth novella in this book, "Cup of Praise," follows several Jewish characters in Jerusalem, including Sarah Reuben and Michael Van Gelder. Michael tells Sarah how he came to believe in Jesus: "It's all there. And history supports the fact that Yeshua fulfilled all the prophecies. All of them! There's no way to doubt that He was and is God's Son, our Messiah." (p. 271). </div><div> </div><br /><div><strong>Wandering Jude would like to make a friendly neighborhood public service reminder: "It's not all there. History does not support this assertion that Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies. Not all of them. Not even close. And yes, there are plenty of ways to doubt his being the son of God."</strong></div><div> </div><br /><div>Sarah's response to Michael: ""You're not a Jew anymore." His betrayal of his family and his people rocked her to the core. "I could never have imagined you'd do such a thing! I could forgive you most anything, but this is far beyond a crime. You've denied everything we are!" Michael responds: "Please don't think that way. Let me tell you why I am now a completed Jew." (p. 272). </div><div> </div><br /><div>Michael states that "Yeshua was a Jewish rabbi." (p. 290). </div><div> </div><br /><div style="font-weight: bold;">WJ: Um, maybe a proto-rabbi. More probably an itinerant preacher.</div><div> </div><br /><div>Sarah states, "Michael, everyone knows that our Messiah will come and be King." "That's right. He'll be coming again as King. Burt first He had to be our pesach, our Passover Lamb." (p. 296). </div><div> </div><br /><div>During a Passover seder, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Sarah found it very significant that the middle matzah was the one broken, hidden away, and finally redeemed and distributed. Michael said it was at this point in Yeshua's last Passover with His disciples that He had said, "This is my body which is given for you." She looked closely at it before she ate with the rest of the family. It was pierced, as Yeshua was. She was sure the stripes and lack of leaven all had meaning too... As a sacrifice lamb, Yeshua had poured out His blood for her." (p. 331).</span> </div><div> </div><br /><div>Sarah says to Michael, <span style="font-style: italic;">"I believe Yeshua is Messiah and want to know what I have to do next. ... Looking into her beautiful blue eyes, he said, "Let's kneel." They did, and he led her in prayer, confessing her doubts and sins and asking Yeshua to come into her heart." (p. 333).</span></div><br /><div> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Final Thoughts</span><br /><br />Wandering Jude doesn't have much to say about <span style="font-style: italic;">The Chalice of Israel</span>, except that the characters are one dimensional, the theological arguments are simplistic, and the dialogue is trite. Plus, Jews don't kneel when they pray. When Sarah and Michael kneel to say the "sinner's prayer," they reveal the author's ignorance of Judaism and their own rejection of Jewish tradition.<br /><br />Oh, one more thing. The reference to the stripes on the matzah as being a symbolic allusion to Jesus ("by his stripes we are healed") is a canard repeated by many missionaries but rejected by all biblical scholars, even evangelical scholars. <br /><div> </div>Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83026787847526723.post-86215424669170377242008-01-06T10:31:00.000-08:002008-01-06T11:52:47.158-08:00They Shall See God<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41J3S44R8ML._AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41J3S44R8ML._AA240_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Athol Dickson, an architect-turned-novelist, wrote <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48662363&referer=brief_results"><span style="font-style: italic;">They Shall See God</span> </a>in 2002 (published by Tyndale House, a reliably evangelical publishing house). This novel, a love story but really more of a suspense thriller, has several Jewish characters, including two rabbis, one of whom is a major character in the book. Rabbi Ruth Gold's character is nuanced and complex. Though the novel is a suspenseful story of a serial murderer, underneath the author deals with various religious and social issues, including interfaith understanding, conversion to a different religion, and loyalty to one's own religion. While Jews are not stereotyped in this novel, nevertheless they do not fare well. One commits suicide. Four are killed (one is shot, one is poisoned, one is mauled by a tiger and then drowned, and one is burned to death by boiling tar). Two are shot at (in separate scenes) and one of these two almost dies. Another is stabbed but survives. Two die of fatal diseases. One appears to have a mental disorder. Three Jews convert to Christianity (two of these three are already dead by the time the book begins, but are introduced in flashbacks. The third is a secret convert who is not revealed to be so until the end of the book).<br /><br />Some of the Jews and Christians in the novel are involved in interfaith (dating or marriage) relationships. Most of the characters in the book are good, decent people, albeit with flaws. No one has all the answers. Both Christians and Jews in the book are portrayed from their own religious point of view. I don't think the book has as its intention to convert anyone, just to promote interfaith understanding and to provide a good suspenseful read. A nice change of pace from your typical evangelical novel with Jewish characters.<br /><br />The plot as it unfolds reveals three characters in the book who were born Jewish and then convert to Christianity, though these conversions happen chronologically before the events of the book take place. On the other hand, there are no converts to Judaism in the book. (Not that this is a surprise. Evangelical novels rarely depict Christians converting to Judaism, and if they do, the results are not pretty).<br /><br />Sometimes the dialog between Jewish characters seems a bit pretentious. Witness Rabbi Ruth Gold, who early in the book says to her boyfriend, Steve: "Instead of rounding up a minyan to say kaddish, I was wondering if you'd come to Mama's grave to light a yahrzeit candle with me, and say shehecheyanu?" (p. 3). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hmm. How about a little lox with that shmear?</span><br /><br />The author, through some of his Christian characters, makes clear his philo-semitic intentions: <span style="font-style: italic;">"The Last Supper was a Passover celebration led by Jesus, who was called rabbi at that table in the upper room," said the minister. "Jesus was a Jew, of course, as were all of his apostles and most of those who believed in him. Yet we often make the mistake of blaming his crucifixion on the Jewish people, as if they were of one mind in the matter." (p. 34).</span><br /><br />Reverend Cahill, one of the few unambiguously good characters in <span style="font-style: italic;">They Shall See God</span>, goes on with his sermon:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The Roman soldiers in Pilate's Jerusalem garrison were from many countries around the Mediterranean. It might have been Spanish hands that drove the spikes through Jesus' wrists, or Greek. If God had wanted us to believe that Jews are guilty of Jesus' death in a special way, why not allow them to stone our Lord to death in the Jewish fashion? It is no accident that God chose the Roman cross instead, as a reminder that all the world, Jew and Gentile alike, has an equal share in the guilt of sin." ... "So when our Bibles speak of 'the Jews' condemning Jesus, we must remember that term is a kind of literary shorthand for 'the Jewish leaders.' And we must remember that not even all the Jewish leaders opposed Christ. Our Bibles describe some Pharisees and even temple priests accepting Jesus as their Messiah and their God."" (p. 35).</span><br /><br />A member of his congregation, obviously a bit deranged, responds to Reverend Cahill by screaming out, <span style="font-style: italic;">"The Jews rejected Christ! They killed him! They killed Stephen! They stoned Paul! And God has abandoned them to their sin!" ... "Read your Bibles! Read Acts! The Jews were a curse on the first Christians! A curse!" (p. 36).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">More Jewish rituals from our rabbi protagonist:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rabbi Gold lit a yahrzeit candle, placed it on her parents' tombstone, and said the shehecheyanu: "Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha'olam shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu lazman hazeh. Amen." "She felt a peace creep into her heart. It was the comfort of tradition, of belonging, of knowing she was merely a link in the chain that stretched from Abraham and Sarah to the Messiah, may he quickly come." (p. 41).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wandering Jude is interested in this Reform rabbi's wish for the coming of the Messiah. Ah, perhaps it's only metaphorical....</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Benny Rothstein sat in a circle of light, enjoying Rashi's commentary on the Talmud. He licked his thumb and turned the page. Such wonderfully simple and straightforward insights, yet so filled with deeper meaning. Such a perfect way to close this Rosh Hashanah evening. Morton preferred Ibn Ezra, but Benny thought he was difficult to follow sometimes, even on the third or fourth reading. Benny was of the opinion that complex writing concealed incomplete thoughts. It took tremendous wisdom and clarity of mind to explain the great truths of Torah in ways that anyone could understand, and for clarity, you just couldn't beat Rashi. But of course, it only made sense that Morton would be wrong. How could he know anything? He was a man who worked on Erev Rosh Hashanah when he should be home or at temple busying himself with Torah." (p. 57).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">While Wandering Jude can be cynical at times, he must admit that Dickson does a nice job of getting into the minds of his Jewish characters without patronizing them or telegraphing his character development intentions. If only more Christian novelists could reach these heights.</span><br /><br />The villain of the book, Rev. Orvis Smith (sort of a mix between Jerry Falwell and Adolf Hitler), thinks to himself about <span style="font-style: italic;">"the godless Jews." ... "Apostle to the Hebrews in this day and age? It took the patience of Job. Yet, after everything the Jews did to the Savior, after the terrible persecutions they had inflicted on Christians and all those centuries of denying Jesus, God still chose to reach out to this children with the message of salvation." (p. 66).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Well, Dickson's villain is not very nuanced, but perhaps that's what really goes on in the minds of anti-Semites. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Normally [Ruth Gold] didn't eat nonkosher meats, but like many Reform Jews, she wasn't rigid about keeping kosher, and today, the catfish was a small gesture of acrimonious defiance against a God who allowed murderers to go free and good men to die and anti-Semitism to endure for centuries." (p. 74).</span><br /><br />Rabbi Gold is described several times in the book as being an "exotically attractive woman" who had "olive skin, short black hair, and huge, dark brown eyes." (p. 80). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oh my. Wandering Jude knows many individuals who would like to meet Rabbi Gold.</span><br /><br />Kate (a lapsed Christian) and Ruth have a conversation after meeting for the first time in 25 years: Kate says, <span style="font-style: italic;">"My husband was raised Conservative." He was Jewish?" "uh-huh." Ruth looked at Kate appraisingly. "Did you convert?" Kate met her eyes. "No. He did." Ruth looked away. Kate said, "I mean, he had already converted when I met him in our singles group at church." "I see," said Ruth, still looking away. .... "So. You're a rabbi. Who would've guessed? "My dad, for one." "He was a rabbi too, remember?" "I don't think I ever knew that." "Yes. If there's a single reason for my choice, I guess that'd be it. He raised me to love Judaism." So if your father was a rabbi, I guess that means rabbis can get married?" "Of course. There's no vow of celibacy. That's a Christian thing." ... "But John, my husband, didn't have any Jewish friends and didn't talk much about his backgroun. And I haven't met very many Jews, except for him and his parents." ... "Actually, when John became a Christian they had a falling out. And they didn't like him marrying me. That pretty much shut down all communication until the kids came along. Then they thawed out a little, but we're still not real friendly, you know?" (p. 82). </span><br /><br />Ruth asks Kate if she is raising her children as Christians or as Jews. <span style="font-style: italic;">"They're Christians. I mean, that's what I am, and like I said, John was Jewish, but he was a Christian too." Ruth smiled slightly. "That's like saying your car was a Ford, but it was a Chrysler." "Well, you know what I mean." The rabbi nodded. "I suppose." (p. 84).</span><br /><br />The reader gets a glimpse into Kate's mind:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The moment Ruth had mentioned coming to her temple, an unreasoning terror of the unknown had seized Kate's mind. She remembered the bitter baricade of mistrust and anger that had once stood between John and his parents. They had lashed out sometimes, actually calling him a traitor. They had accused the church of brainwashing him, as if it were some sort of cult. They had accused Kate herself of playing a role in the "indoctrination" of their son, ignoring the fact that he had chosen the Christian faith long before they met. John had done his best to help Kate understand their animosity. He had spoken of evils in the Dark Ages and of anti-Semitic affronts in the present. Still, as she considered Ruth's invitation, such hostility was hard to forget. What if I say the wrong thing? I don't even know how to dress. Should I take my Bible, or will the New Testament offend them? What if they say something bad about Jesus? Should I speak up? If I do, will they throw me out?" (p. 133).</span><br /><br />Ruth thinks: <span style="font-style: italic;">"What had Katy said? Oh, yes: "I think God wants me to be there." Ruth gritted her teeth. She knew what that meant. Asking Katy to come to temple had been a mistake. Deep down, Christians were all the same. No different than those obnoxious ones who stood out by the parking lot with their cardboard Jesus signs." (p. 138).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"As sunset approached, Ruth labored at a large table in the temple library, surrounded by open volumes of Talmud and Torah commentaries. Preparing for the Shabbes Torah study was usually the high point of her week, an opportunity to immerse herself in texts and commentaries, to walk Herod's Temple with Hillel and Shammai, to dialogue with Maimonides and Ibn Ezra, to reflect upon the mind of God, and in one sense perhaps, to see his face and live." (p. 140-141).</span><br /><br />Helen Blumenthal, a Jewish psychiatrist, thinks: <span style="font-style: italic;">"Tonight, the rabbi had spoken of the need to credit God with who we are. Helen wondered where God had been when her father lost his home to the Nazis at the age of thirteen. Where was God when an eighteen year old girl inherited the duties of her dead parents, raising her sisters without help? Where was God while she slaved on the graveyard shift in an all-night diner for fifty-cent tips, and endured the pompous abuse of professors all day? God certainly seemed to have little mercy for the never-ending stream of lost and dispossessed patients passing through her office week after week, each one a walking example of the futility of faith." (pp. 150-151).</span><br /><br />Rebecca Betterton, a middle aged Jewish woman, thinks deep thoughts to which the reader becomes privy:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"[She] tried to imagine what it would be like to be dead. There seemed to be three possibilities. Either nothing happened and you just stopped, or you went to heaven or hell. She didn't believe she might come back in another life. Not for a minute. That was just silly. And if this world is all there is, why then, what difference does it make? When you're dead, you're not going to care anymore, right?" But what if there was a heaven and a hell?.... To tell the truth, she wasn't sure where she'd end up. Her parents had done their best to teach her about the Jewish faith. ... Neither of them cared much for the Orthodox ways of their youth, so they had joined the Reform temple over near the park and raised Rebecca to believe it was her right to choose which parts of her heritage made the most sense. When she was sixteen, she quit going to temple. They tried to force her, but she turned their own logic back on them, saying she had a right to choose which parts of her faith to observe, and she chose to have nothing more to do with it." (pp. 164-165).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Suddenly, [Rebecca's first husband] was nailing a mezuzah to the doorframe and running around town wearing his yarmulke in public. "What are you doing?" she had asked, afraid she'd be seeing the fringes of a prayer shawl dangling from under his shirt any day. "My duty as a father," he had replied. Sidney had tried to get her to join an Orthodox synagogue, but she wasn't about to sit behind the mechitza, screened off from the men like some inferior person. She had told her husband he would wait a lifetime before he got her to worship God Almighty from the back of the shul behind a curtain.... After a couple of weeks of the silent treatment, Sidney had proposed a compromise. That was how Rebecca had found herself rejoining Temple Brit Yisrael after almost ten years. She and Sidney had paid their dues and attended services almost every Shabbat. Aaron grew up playing at the Northside Jewish Community Center on Saturday afternoons after temple, and going to the children's classes on Sunday mornings. When it was time for his Bar Mitzvah, Rebecca had been so proud to see him standing on the bima in his yarmulke and talit, reading Hebrew like a little rabbi." (pp. 165-166).</span><br /><br />Kate begins a romantic relationship with a Jewish man, Jake Singer, but she has misgivings and <span style="font-style: italic;">"conflicted emotions. No good can come of this, she thought. He's a Jew and I'm a Christian. What am I doing?" (p. 189)</span>.<br /><br />Ruth remembers a conversation with her brother ten years earlier. Ruth asks Isaac why he still wants to go to high holiday services even though he has made a profession of faith in Christ. <span style="font-style: italic;">"What kind of question is that? I'm still part of this family! I'm still a Jew!" "No, you're not, Isaac. You threw that away." His head jerked back but his shoulders remained motionless. It was an odd reaction, as if she had struck a physical blow. For a moment they stood still, staring at teach other, and then Isaac turned and left without another word." (p. 193).</span><br /><br />Ruth and Kate have a conversation about proselytizing:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"All I'm saying is, sometimes honest conviction looks like arrogance to outsiders. If you really believed you had something that could make everyone's life better, not just here and now but for all eternity, wouldn't you want to share that good news with the world?" "I wouldn't try to cram it down people's throats!" But wouldn't you want to share something like that? I mean, if it was true, wouldn't sharing it be the only right thing to do?" Ruth erupted. "How would you feel if we showed up outside your church next Easter with signs that said 'The Messiah hasn't come yet,' or 'Trust Moses'?" ... "I'm not defending what they're doing. I'm just saying ---" "I know what you're saying, and I'm not buying it. If those people really cared so much about us, they'd give us some respect and behave with common decency."</span><br /><br />Rabbi Ruth Gold goes to a cemetery to visit her parents' graves. <span style="font-style: italic;">"[Ruth] believed Hashem in his mercy protected her here. Some rabbis avoided cemeteries because they were tref -- unclean -- but like most Reform rabbis, Ruth ignored that particular bit of biblical law. In the best liberal tradition, she chose to observe the traditions that seemed to fit her life as Hashem had created her, and she respectfully declined to be bound by the others." (pp. 243-244).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The Torah did not speak of a life after death, at least not clearly. There was much rabbinic debate in the Talmud on the subject, and of course the references in the prophets and writings were well known, but one had to stretch the text very thinly to arrive at a teaching of afterlife in the five books of Moses. When pressed by an instructor at Hebrew Union College several years ago, she had taken the position that this life was all we could expect. If heaven wasn't in Torah, it probably didn't exist. Several times since her ordination, congregants and fellow rabbis had challenged her on that. She always returned to the Scriptures to defend her position, and yet, as Ruth stared at the carved names of her mother and father, her heart filled with an undeniable longing. ... a vague and inexpressible desire, like hunger for a particular kind of food that she had never eaten.... " (p. 244).</span><br /><br />Rabbi Ruth prays:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Hashem, I know Judaism is about making a difference here and now, but you have also filled me with a need to be rid of this world, to enter into something better. As Abraham and Moses rested with their fathers, I want to see my parents again. But I'm afraid. What if this is nothing but selfishness or egotism? What if I only feel this way because of my troubles? She sighed. Hashem, please show me the truth. Opening her eyes, she blinked against the sunshine and ... awaited God's answer. .... it would be nice to believe in a world to come. Maybe later she could find something in the Torah to offer reassurance. Ruth Gold believed all of the answers were there, if only she could understand." (p. 245).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Jews bury their dead quickly because they do not embalm the bodies. It is a tradition handed down through the centuries, grounded in the hope that the resurrection will find the Jewish dead ready and waiting their bodies whole, including the blood..... Since Ruth did not believe in resurrection, she did not care one way or the other, except, perhaps, for the fact that the money saved by not embalming the body could be given to the poor." (pp. 255-256).</span><br /><br />Kate is talking to her romantic interest, Jake Singer. <span style="font-style: italic;">"He [Kate's deceased husband] converted when he was eighteen. About two years before I met him." "Converted to Judaism?" "No, to Christianity." She paused. "His parents didn't speak to him for years. "Not at all?" "No." Jake shook his head. "Some of us are so suspicious of your faith that we do some pretty mean things." "Mean doesn't begin to cover it, Jake. And it wasn't just his family. Even some of his friends quit talking to him. He tried everything he could think of to get them to ... to take him back, I guess you'd say. But a lot of them -- friends and family both -- acted like he'd doen something criminal. They broke John's heart." ... [Jake responded]: I'll bet they said it was John breaking their heart." (p. 269).</span><br /><br />Reverend Orvis Smith, the villain of the book thinks to himself: <span style="font-style: italic;">"The Day of Atonement. What hypocrisy! As if a few chants, an apology, and a toot on the horn of a dead animal could make up for a lifetime of miserable failure." (p. 305).</span><br /><br />An evangelist says to Jews entering the Reform temple on Yom Kippur: <span style="font-style: italic;">"There's no atonement in that building! Open your Torahs! Read Leviticus! 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.' Where is the blood in this Day of Atonement of yours?" ... "You have no temple in Jerusalem for your sacrifices because only one offering is pleasing to God now, only the crucifixion of Jesus Christ! Trust in your Messiah! Believe in his sacrifice for your sake and you will be saved!" (p. 306).</span><br /><br />As the shofar is blown on Yom Kippur: <span style="font-style: italic;">"Tekia, shevarim - terua, tekia. Tekia, dhevarim, tekia. Tekia, terua, tekia. For a moment, in the midst of the impossibly beautiful sounds, Ruth saw an unbroken string of notes -- pearls hanging from a golden thread, rubies woven through time itself to connect her and this day with Moshe blowing the first shofar on Mt. Sinai. That first time, the purpose of the blasts had been to warn Israel not to repeat their sin with the golden calf while Moshe remained high above, receiving Torah. Now, the shofar called them to account for the sins they had already committed. Ruth closed her eyes as the last of the notes echoed in her heart. For a moment, she saw the path to repentance just ahead. She longed to set foot upon it. She longed for teshuva -- to return." (p. 317).</span><br /><br />Ruth is talking to Kate about the many horrors of Jewish history at the hands of Christians. <span style="font-style: italic;">"I didn't tell you those things to make you feel guilty, Katy. I mean, it's not like I think any of it's your fault. But if we're gonna be getting to know each other again after all these years, it's important for you to understand some things about me." "I think I do. You grew up in a culture that sees my faith as the enemy." "No, that's overstating it. Most of us don't think of Christians as enemies, and that's not what I meant, anyway. I'm talking about you and me.".... "I mean, imagine how we hate to tell our children these things. It's much more delicate than the birds and the bees ... having to deliberately begin the end of your child's innocence in order to protect her." (p. 377).</span><br /><br />Kate says to Ruth: <span style="font-style: italic;">"But I believe [Jesus] was also God, who became one of us, one of the least of us, so that nobodies like me could know he really understands our pain, and believe in him, and be saved from just the kind of thing you're--" "You're preaching to a rabbi," snapped Ruth. "Don't try to convert me. It's insulting." (p. 379).</span><br /><br />Ruth thinks she is about to die. She <span style="font-style: italic;">"covered her head with her hands and rocked back and forth, whispering, "Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohim Adonai echad. Shema Yisrael Adonai." (p. 404).</span><br /><br />At a Jewish funeral, <span style="font-style: italic;">"many of the older women wore black lace veils. Most of the men wore yarmulkes. ... A group of ten men stood in a circle around the grave, chanting in unison, rocking back and forth slightly. Kate did not understand the Hebrew words, but the grief that rose with each syllable cast its bitter shadow upon her. Rabbi Samuel Gottlieb stood at the foot of the plot, leading the ceremony. Unlike his dress at most religious services, the rabbi did not wear his simple black robe with the gleaming shite strip of fabric draped across his shoulders, something Kate had learned to call a talit. .... She had come to understand that many of the trappings of Christian worship had their roots in the Jewish culture. A bishop's skull cap and robe, a minister's prayer shawl, the Christmas candles, the Lord's Supper, and a new believer's baptism -- all of these icons of her faith had been borrowed from the Jews." (p. 421).</span><br /><br />Solomon Cantor reveals that he is a Christian. He <span style="font-style: italic;">"knelt before the simple wooden cross upon the wall. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head." (p. 423).</span><br /><br />Solomon Cantor says <span style="font-style: italic;">"I told Gabby I still believe Adonai is one. I'm still a Jew. I am. But I believe in Jesus, too. I believe God is one, and I believe he's three. It makes no sense, but who am I to understand? I mean, he's God Almighty. You don't understand God. You just believe." (p. 425).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Gabrielle Cantor had sacrificed son and husband to an ancient fear, and now Ruth could no longer flee the haunting memory of a very young woman, a foolish, untested rabbi who once did much the same. She whispered, "Are you saying all these evil things have happened because Gabby was angry when you converted?" ... "And in her mind, Ruth Gold saw the pitiful form of her brother Isaac on his deathbed." ... "Adonai, she prayed. Forgive me! And finally , she thought to push instead of pull, and the door flew open, and a brilliant white light came flooding in." (p. 428).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Concluding Thoughts:</span><br /><br />Wandering Jude must admit that this novel, despite its minor flaws, is an engaging story filled with smart yet ambivalent characters. It tells the Christian story like it should be told, with sin and grace and repentance and mercy. Yes, there are some Jewish conversions to Christianity (though none occur during the events of the novel; all are told in flashback or some other kind of past tense literary device). But the conversions seem real, not forced. And the Jew we most of all expect to convert does not, though she changes in subtle yet life-changing ways. The rabbi remains a rabbi who does not believe in Jesus, yet she becomes more aware of Christianity's potential power and she finally forgives her brother for his conversion. The anti-semitic villain is sharply drawn; there is nothing good about him, despite his theological orthodoxy. His biblical allusions are empty and powerless, and ultimately violent, yet we feel pity for him. He is a pathetic figure, who knows the words of the Bible yet cannot grasp their meaning. In the end, his violent perversion of the Bible is contrasted with the life-affirming meaning found by both Jewish and Christian characters.<br /><br />Athol Dickson, the author of this fine novel, is an evangelical Christian who, we are sure, desires the salvation of his Jewish friends. Yet he has written this book in such a way that (on some level) it's OK for Jews not to convert to Christianity. And that is probably the most we can hope for from the evangelicals among us. It certainly is a better alternative to the blatant proselytizing that occurs in so many books of this genre.Ungatheringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868985259643761557noreply@blogger.com0