10 Yards of Hatred
by Tom Neven on 11/14/2007 at 12:09 PM
I've been absent from these pages for the past two weeks. I was traveling in the Middle East, and I'll be sharing a few of my thoughts from that journey.
While in Jordan, I visited the site where many believe Jesus was baptized by John. It's about five miles north of where the Jordan River dumps into the Dead Sea at a place called Bethany Beyond the Jordan. The archeological evidence is pretty solid for this being near where that baptism took place, including the presence of a 2nd century church with a baptismal pool and steps leading down into what was then a spring just off the river. (The river has changed course slightly in the intervening centuries and now flows about a hundred yards farther west.) This church also had an octagonal apse and octagonal paving stones in the floor, which the early church used to signify sites where something significant happened in the life of Christ -- eight being the number of completion. Less conclusively, John the Baptist was maybe an Essene from the Qumran community (site of the Dead Sea Scrolls), which, as the crow flies, is only about 10 miles from Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
Which is all interesting but kinda dull when compared to actually visiting the place. The Jordanians have invested heavily in touting this place as a tourist destination, including a new Greek Orthodox church on the site and steps into the river to conduct baptisms. The Israelis have pretty much given up on the up-to-now supposed baptismal site at Yardenit about 60 miles north and are building their own visitor center and baptismal ramps just across the river from the Jordanian site.
Except the Jordan isn't really a river at this point; it's a mere stream about 10 yards wide. And on the morning our group went for a baptismal service, we found a group of heavily armed Israeli soldiers standing along the bank on their side of the river, glaring at the group of heavily armed Jordanian soldiers who stood behind us, close enough to see the whites of each others' eyes. The two countries have been officially at peace since 1994, but there's no love lost between them. (More on that in future blogs.) Indeed, a mere four years ago when I first visited the site, the area was still heavily mined, and we were warned not to wander off the footpath down to the river.
So here we were, celebrating the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Prince of Peace while heavily armed soldiers glared at each other across the stream. What were they thinking as this group of Americans conducted a baptism? How silly it seemed that a mere 10-yard-wide band of water represented a huge gulf of mistrust and, I suppose, outright hatred. What is it about this part of the world that incites such strong beliefs and emotions?
More on that in future blogs.
1. Christina said the following at 1:04 PM on Nov 14:
Whatever it is, God used it well to set a strong foundation for our knowledge of him.
2. Kelly said the following at 5:19 PM on Nov 14:
What is it about this part of the world that incites such strong beliefs and emotions?
I would love to see more insight into that - it's a topic that both fascinates and saddens me. It's only 'land' but at the same time, it's where our Saviour walked.
3. Christopher Savage said the following at 7:22 AM on Nov 15:
The Way to Peace in the Middle East
Having lived nearly half of my life in the Muslim world I see the truth in some personal comments heard recently from Iran, that they have no feeling of enmity for Jews; their problems are
1) the laws of Israel that allow immigration of any Jewish individual who is then at liberty to compete for the limited resources of the Palestinians; and
2) perceived bullying by the US Government including provision of apparently nuclear tipped cruise missiles.
From their viewpoint, they believe that if these two problems could be removed there could be peace in the Middle East tomorrow. We need to read such thoughts behind otherwise apparently intransigent public statements and positioning.
4. cn said the following at 10:23 AM on Nov 15:
11Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
Romans 11:11-12
15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
Romans 11:15
25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.27And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
28As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
Romans 11:25-29
I could write a thesis on this issue, as my heart burns for the salvation of Israel, but I'll spare you. Instead, I'd like to encourage posters to seek out the Lord's heart for His original covenant people, and not just look at political issues while evaluating this topic. I pray that this discussion will be void of anti-semitism.
Remember, we don't REPLACE Israel, instead we are grafted into their blessings through a Jewish born Messiach... Yeshua Ha Mashiach. :)
5. John said the following at 3:41 AM on Nov 18:
"1) the laws of Israel that allow immigration of any Jewish individual who is then at liberty to compete for the limited resources of the Palestinians; and"
I wasn't aware that Palestinians had ANY resources, much less limited, unless your talking about Iranian supplied rocket launchers to kill Jewish children.
What is the point of Israel if not a homeland for the Jew?
Although perception is reality for many people, their perception still is NOT reality.
There is no such thing as a "Palestinian". They're Arabs.
The notion of "Palestinian" was invented to keep Israel from coming into existence.
Giving land to a fake people group is stupid in itself, to do so thinking it will create peace is asinine.
"Who is the Tolstoy of the Palestinians?"
There simply is no such thing as a Palestinian culture, people or history.
The closest thing it can been said to be is something like saying someone is an Valley Girl or New Englander, except a Valley Girl has more claim to a particular region and New Englanders have more culture.
6. Angie said the following at 11:24 PM on Nov 18:
Wow... John, your comments are utterly offensive on so many levels.
and cn... have you ever heard or explored the idea of those that follow Jesus as the Christ, the promised Messiah, being the True Israel?
What do you all make of the promises that were made to Ishmael? Do they count for nothing?
7. John said the following at 10:10 AM on Nov 19:
Angie, In my opinion, your comments do not add much to the conversation.
8. John said the following at 8:34 PM on Nov 19:
Board moderator,
LOL:)