Suffer the Children

Last week in my reflection on the movie The Zone of Interest, I wrote about my experience visiting the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem when I was in the Holy Land in 2008 with other clergy from the Diocese of Huron.  The experience left a lasting impact on me and has been on my mind frequently in the past week especially as I reflect on what is happening in Gaza and the war between Israel and Hamas.

The horror of the attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, was the most devastating for Israel since the horrors which were depicted in the Museum.  It is helpful in understanding the response by Israel to that day.   Here are some of my reflections in response to that visit.

·         Children’s memorial - devastating in its simplicity and stark realization that 1.5 million children died before they could really live.  The building is in the shape of the pyramid.  Inside the stars shine in the sky to represent the children.  The names, age and nationality are recited over the loudspeaker in English and Hebrew.  We are asked to remember one child, Shomo Klien, age 14.

 

·         We are led through exhibits, documentaries, and testimonials of those who survived.  The starkest was the mountain of shoes – a dark testimony to what became of the people who wore them? 

 

·         Lodz Ghetto – Mordeci Run Kowski, the Ghetto President, was forced to choose.  Anyone who could not work lost the right to live.  Anyone under ten lost the right to live.  The elderly and the sick lost the right to live.  They were chosen, thousands demanded by the Nazis.  Mothers are forced to give up their children.  Many didn’t. The agony of having to make such a choice and forcing such choices on parents.  If he did not decide the Nazis would and chose more.

 

·         Dream of Abramek Kaplowics age 14 murdered at Auschwitz:

When I grow up and get to be twenty, I’ll travel and see the world of plenty.  In a bird with an engine, I will set myself down, take off and fly into space, far above the ground.  I’ll fly, I’ll cruise and soar high above the world so lovely in the sky. And so delighted by all the world’s charms, into the heavens I will take off and not have a bother.  The cloud is my sister, the wind my brother.

·         Flames in the Ashes, an excerpt from a film by Chaim Guriand Jaque Erlich.  A carnival with acrobats performing over a beautiful Sunday afternoon outside Auschwitz.

 

With all this that must overwhelm visitors with the impact of that horror, I cannot help but ask, what if another name was added to names of the innocents broadcast at the entrance to the Museum – the name of one of the Palestinian children killed in the war on Hamas: Abdul Rahman Alaa Imad Al-Ajl (age 2 years)? 

May all the innocent who have died in war be remembered and be blessed. 

The Peace of God That Passes All Understanding

Sunday, I preached on the bible passage, 2 Kings 6: 8-23.  In this passage, Israel is in one of the frequent battles with the soldiers of Aram.  The prophet Elisha, through the intervention of God, enables the army of the Arameans to be defeated.  He does this by means of sight being removed and restored.  First, he prays that God will send blindness upon the Aramean army.  Then he leads them astray into Samaria.  When their sight is restored, they find themselves in the midst of their enemies.  Rather than having the Arameans slaughtered – as would be the normal practice – Elisha tells the King of Israel:

‘No! Did you capture with your sword and your bow those whom you want to kill? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink; and let them go to their master.’ So, he prepared for them a great feast; after they ate and drank, he sent them on their way, and they went to their master. And the Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel.

Here, Elisha shows that he is a prophet who is truly exceptional and one that has by some measures even surpassed his master, Elijah.  He does something that is probably unimaginable to the King of Israel and probably all the people of Israel, he shows mercy on the army of their enemies when the Arameans were completely within their power to utterly destroy them.  We have this account which illustrates the usual approach to conquered people:

When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. Then Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If you will indeed give this people into our hands, then we will utterly destroy their towns.’ The Lord listened to the voice of Israel, and handed over the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their towns; so, the place was called Hormah. (Numbers 21: 1-3)

Elisha’s action was toward the Arameans is radical and unexpected, showing them mercy and compassion.  We can only see this as a foreshadowing of what Jesus would be teaching the Jewish people so many years later.  Turning to the New Testament and Gospel theology, we have Jesus telling his disciples and telling us that we must follow the way of peace.  He does this both by his words and his actions.  In the beatitudes he tells us specifically that we must be peacemakers, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”  He tells us to turn the other cheek and not strike back when we are struck, “You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.”   

So, it is very clear that as Christians, we are commanded by our Lord and Saviour to be peacemakers.  Israel is once again in a state of war with one of its neighbours.  It is responding to the horrendous and vile attack by Hamas as they have throughout its history by stickling back to defend themselves in what seems to be absolute terms.  As Christians, we are called to do what we can to strive for peace in this terrible situation.  Almost fourteen hundred Israeli citizens have been slaughtered or taken as hostages.  Many thousands of citizens of Gaza have been killed or wounded and the infrastructure has been devastated.  The residents of Gaza have had little relief from the embargo of water, food, medicine and fuel by the Israel government.  We can support the call for a ceasefire or at least effective humanitarian pauses to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to innocent residents of Gaza.  We can support the call for a true two state solution for the two nations, Israel and Palestine, where there is security and justice for all.  

Following the commandments of Jesus is not easy.  It is human nature to strike back and not turn the other cheek.  Indeed, the situation in the Middle East seems to be beyond the possibility of peace.  The peace of God is beyond our understanding at this moment.  But with God all things are possible.  We can and we must pray for the peace of God even if it is beyond our understanding.  A prayer from The Most Reverend Hosam Naoum, Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem.

O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land. Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths -- Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and for all people of the land. While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children for, to all of us, you are our Heavenly Father.  In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

May we be peacemakers on our journey. 

 

 

The Truth About Miracles

 

As I wrote last week, I am currently engaged in a biblical study course on the Old Testament.  Last weeks lecture raised the question about the human involvement in divine action – specifically, what does it mean for scripture to be inspired by God?  The following chart offered by the leader, Murray Watson, gives a continuum of possibilities in how to understand the inspired nature of the relationship between Devine and Human beings.

A spectrum of possibilities in terms of the human-divine relationship

 It struck me that this is a good illustration of the challenge that miracles bring to people in our culture today.  The belief in the part which God plays in the world relates directly to how miracles are understood and accepted or not accepted by people.  On the one end of the continuum, the stories of miracles in the Old and New Testaments in the bible are actual, literal accounts of the events.  On the other end they are made up stories which have no validity as factual accounts of actual events.

To illustrate, how do you understand the account of the flood in Genesis in which God told Noah to build an ark to hold a pair of every kind of animal to enable them to survive the flood which God sent upon the face of the earth?  Whether you believe that this actually happened as recorded in the Book of Genesis or was just a “myth” i.e., it didn’t happen, can create an inseparable barrier to people exploring with each other how God is working in their lives today. 

In my view, there is little to be gained by arguing over the details of this account or other accounts of miracles in the bible.  If we can put aside the issue of this historical nature of the event and whether the details are historical facts, we are much more likely to have a meaningful discussion of how God in working in our lives today.  Rather than argue over the truth of the facts of the case, we can explore the capital ‘T’ Truth of how God was operating in the lives of the people who wrote down the account and explore that Truth in our lives today.

For me, the story of the flood shows that God’s creation is redeemable regardless of how fallen the world seems to be.  God can and does work through individuals who can work to redeem the world against impossible odds.  That is certainly applicable to the world today as we see the challenges that are facing the world from pandemics to a new outbreak of conflict between the Israeli and Palestine - not to mention the chasm that exists between political parties in our neighbour to the south.  To me, it doesn’t matter whether or not a person named Noah existed and whether or not he built an ark that held all those animals.  The Truth is that God has and does work through people to bring about the salvation of the world.  We can have hope in that and not give into despair when we read today’s news.

Blessings on your journey and may you know the Truth of God in your life.

Reading the Bible 29: Genesis 36 – Esau – There shall be Kings

I can’t say that I was engaged with the generations of Esau as described in this episode.  Then again I have not been one who is interested in tracing my family tree unlike someone close to me who goes steady with Ancestry.com at times.  I’m sure that the compilers of the bible had their very good reasons for including all this information on the generations of Esau.  I am sure it was necessary from their perspective.  This gives me a good example of how important perspective is in attempting to discern God’s will for us what was the importance of generations to the Israelites?  Of course it showed the connection between their history from Abraham to their time.  It gave them an understanding of the covenant that God made with the Patriarchs and how it was still active in their lives.  It may also have been a way of establishing their right to the Promised Land.  That claim is still being made by the Jewish settlers in Palestine today as they encroach on the Palestinian territory.  They are being permitted to do so by the government of Israel today for its own political reasons and not because it is part of the land promised to them by YHWH. 

One verse jumps out at me among all the list of descendants in this passage.  Verse 3:These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites.  There seems to be an ulterior motive for placing this information about the neighbours of Israel and by inference about Israel.  It implies that there will be kings in Israel.  It raises the question, will this or does this (is this now in terms of the compilers) a good thing or a bad thing?  Should Israel have kings as the Edomites do/did?  They will be clamoring for a king as their neighbours have in the time to come – with mixed results.  Their heritage can be traced back to Abraham through Esau.  Does it mean that Israel has lost its way by going this route?   

All in all it is a reminder that religion and politics are seldom far apart and we should always be aware and wary when we try to use religious justification for a political agenda.  Beware in recruiting God to your side in an argument It might just as easily be the devil as God that is making you do it.

 

Reading the Bible 28: Genesis 35 – Jacob’s Twice Told Tale

Sometimes we don’t get the message the first time.  This is particularly true of the messages we get from God.  Jacob seems to need to a recapitulation of the encounter with God at Bethel.  After all he has gone through with Esau and the tragic events around Dinah God speaks to Jacob again and tells him that he must return to Bethel – that place where he wrestled with God.  HE must go through much of what he experienced the first time.  He again sets up an altar to God and consecrates it.  There is a renaming of the place as El-bethel – the God of Bethel - which seems redundant as Bethel means the house of God.  God also again renames Jacob Israel – the name he was given after striving against the messenger of God and prevailing.  Israel means the one who has striven with God.  So, why this encounter with God that seems to cover the same territory?

Well it would be nice if we only needed to get the message once and that would be enough for us to repent – to turn our lives around and go the way that God intended.  That seemed to be the case with Saul renamed Paul after his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.  However, most of us seem to need to get the message many times and in many different ways before we stumble towards our Jerusalem.  That is certainly the case with me.  There don’t seem to have been any Road to Damascus experiences is my life.  And the messages that I do get I seem to need to hear over and over again in different ways – congenital slow learner that I am. 

The journey that we are on often or usually takes the form of a labyrinth rather than the straight and narrow path.  We make progress by sometimes heading in the wrong direction and turning again towards the center.  It often feels like we are getting nowhere or even going backwards but if (now El-Bethel).   He states that Bethel was the place where God ‘had answered me in the day of my distress’.  He recognized that the trial he had gone through wrestling with the angle was a positive thing although I’m sure he did not experience it that way at the time. 

Those times where we struggle and wrestle with our demons and angels may not seem like they are sent from God.  And I don’t want to and it is not my intention to dismiss or diminish the terrible things that people face in their lives. What doesn’t kill you doesn’t necessarily make you stronger.  However, as Jacob says God, ‘has been with me wherever I have gone’.  May we always recognize that God is with us as we continue on our journeys.

 

Reading the Bible 25: Genesis 32: 22-32 What’s in a Name?

Jacob’s wresting match with the angel – the messenger of God – is a story most of us who are familiar with the Bible know – or think we do.  The encounter comes at a time of crisis for Jacob.  Jacob has sent his family and all that he has away across the stream as he prepares for his fateful meeting with his brother Esau.  He hopes it will be a meeting of forgiveness and reconciliation.  However, he fears the worst – that he might not survive the encounter.  He alone with his God.

How often when we have hit bottom and have reach the end of our tether do we have an encounter with the divine – with God?  It may not seem as clear as Jacob’s encounter but could well be as dramatic in its own way.  One of my favourite scenes from the move The Life of Pi is when the hero Piscine (Pi) finally realizes that despite all his efforts and all his ingenuity there is nothing more he can do and gives control over to God.  It is similar in the 12 step program of AA and any other form of addiction.  The first step is to admit that we are powerless to control our situation.  Then we must give over control over to God - the power greater than ourselves.  It is very hard for us to let go of the illusion that we are in total control of our lives. 

What is may overlook in this epiphany is the significance of names.  Jacob has his name changed to Israel by the heavenly messenger.   He is given this name as he ‘has striven with God and with humans and have prevailed’.   That is a name which anyone would be glad to be given.  It is at this point that Jacob is certain that he has encountered the divine and knows that God is with him.  The messenger also refuses to tell Jacob – now Israel – his? name.  This is because God is not to be named i.e. as Moses will find out i.e. I am who I am.  Some things are not meant to be named because when we name them we begin to make assumptions about them and believe we have defined them.  As we are told, ‘For I have seen God face to face and yet my life is preserved.  Looking back on the times in which we have had to let go of our illusion of control we can be amazed that we have survived.  We are not the same as Israel went away limping we will will changed by the encounter but by the grace of God we will survive.

Reading the Bible 14 Gen 23 Strangers in a Strange Land

It strikes me that the writer(s) of this part of Genesis protesteth too much.  They are attempting to assert a claim on the burial land for Sarah in the land of the Hittites.  They want the reader to be clear that there is no question that Abraham obtained the land legally and paid a fair price for it beyond any doubt.  Therefore his descendants have a perfect right to the land in question which might be in dispute when the events were recorded.  For me this has reverberations for the present situation in Israel and the West Bank and the settlers encroach in lands beyond what can be legally claimed by Israel.  The settlements are like the camel’s nose in the tent and the settlements are attempting to become so entrenched that they will be no possible negotiation around removing them.  The last verse of the chapter v20 puts the seal on the situation, “The field and the cave that is in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burying place”. 

The situation of Abraham seems to reflect what has gone on in history.  As he states he is ‘a stranger and an alien’ residing among the Hittites and they treat him with every hospitality and consent to allow him to have land as a burial site for Sarah.  How is that hospitality repaid by Abraham and his descendants?  In a similar way the Europeans (my ancestors) came to North America and poked their noses in the tent of North America and we know what happened after that.  It was not Terra Nullius as was proclaimed by we Europeans and we have been dealing with the consequences of broken treaties and cultural assimilation to this day with the idle no more protests.  History is written by the winners and it does depend on whose ox is being gored and who land is being occupied.  So the question remains what is a Christian who is a descendent of those Europeans and who has indirectly at least benefitted by the camel’s nose of those ancestors to do?  No easy answers.