Shalom from Jerusalem.
There is a saying here:
“There are no young Jews, every Jew is 3000 years old”
What does this mean? – Watch the video to find out!
The jewish people are extremely deliberate with their culture & faith education system. Their attendance to thoroughly and religiously observing biblical feasts, laws and commands is to be commended.
The way their faith is practiced in a family setting facilitates the learning of every generation in a household as a normal and enjoyable part of everyday life.
The Jewish people can be great storytellers. And storytelling is a fun family part of meal times, especially friday night shabbat.
As Christians we need to know that the stories they put some of the greatest emphasis on are those of their greatest persecutions.
To name a few;
1 Hayman in the book of Esther
2 The Spanish inquisition
4 The English crusades.
- Hitler & the Holocaust
Jesus commands us to Love one another. As I have loved you so you MUST love one another…
If you tell a Jewish person you love them. You get this response “don’t tell me you love me, if you don’t know what causes me pain” – they are looking for a relationship, a real, true and meaningful love.
You see the unpleasant historical records that most christians have conveniently forgotten, or choose not to uncover or speak about, are the same stories strategically passed on to every jewish generation as a warning, a warning from previous experience.
Most of you will be well aware that Maddy and I have been lead by God, to Israel, for a season of volunteer service with the Bridges for Peace organisation.
Bridges for Peace is Christians serving Jewish people here in Israel. Through the food bank and the tonnes of food that is delivered each week to homes in need, through free home maintenance services, children support and free school supplies, to name a few. The jewish people that bridges for peace encounters experience genuine and impacting expressions of love, with no strings attached. What do we as christians get out of it? Through time and dedication, we hope to begin to heal the wounds left so tender and exposed by vivid memories of a horrific history of persecution.