Jerusalem; Why Should Christians Care? by RadiantStreams

[Teo Bear]

Being sent to bed as a young child, the objective of the game seemed to be how long I could stay awake and imagine, dream, aggravate my mother and keep the day from ending. The two things that genuinely hampered this “campaign of sorts” was
1. My proclivity to need to sleep, and
2. The sound of the nightly news blaring into my cozy little dream haven.
I remember the worst of the news, the violence always having to do with and mentioning Jerusalem, Israel. I figured this must be a very dark, bloody place to avoid. “O G-d Who is great, please protect us from this place.”

As an early teenager, the oldest of six kids, I was “loaned out” to a wealthier than my family” Jewish family, to live with them and help care for their children. It seemed there were many holidays and family get-togethers and often I heard the term: “Next year in Jerusalem!” The images this heart-cry would conjure up were those of dark horror and deathly apprehension. “Why would anyone in their right mind not stay as far away as possible from that barbarously dangerous place? These Jews do not seem to be aware of the disgusting atrocities that go on there, let alone identify with my same impressions. They spoke of it as if it were something they missed, even longed for, like they all seemed to have an insatiable thirst, unquenched until they were allowed to grasp this ownership, stand upon her sands and feel they were finally fulfilled, at home. Jerusalem, what was it about this place that made it central to so many lives and conversations, seemingly even called to the hearts of those misplaced citizens who belonged to her?”

As I eventually succumbed to adulthood, I began to seek out, as many do, the Truths concerning life, love, power and justice. The whole urge was to identify, label and categorize what could be trusted and why. This eventually brought the Holy Scripture more into focus, and while this journey of discovery brought many things into sometimes clearer and often more clouded views, one fact stood out. The G-d of these writings LOVES ISRAEL! From the beginning of interaction and conversation with Israel, this G-d starts narrating the future H* has planned for them. H* speaks to them of H*s constant, enduring LOVE and MERCY for them. H* deeds the land to them, gives them guidelines for prospering their lives and favors them as a Father favors his own child.

More than 800 times, this Holy Scripture mentions Jerusalem, the City of G-d, the center of the Earth. Not only was it deeded forever to Israel by this same G*d, but in this same Scripture, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David and others are recorded as having purchased huge swaths of this land. The plethora of archeological evidences back this up, as well as many other writings. History tells many tales of the Jewish people fighting to maintain this ownership, captured and exiled to foreign lands, but never, never giving up on maintaining their hold on the land, especially Jerusalem! Somehow, way deep in the recesses of their innermost beings, Jewish people have an innate drive, longing and hunger to live in the land given to them by their G*d.
Jerusalem is center to Judaism. Every important piece of their history happened in Jerusalem. Every major divine encounter with their G*d, every thing that they were created to be, all future promises and prophecies to come, everything centers around and focuses on Jerusalem.

To Christians, Jerusalem takes on many various realms of importance, depending upon the beliefs we have chosen to stand by. If one has not checked any of these facts out for himself, then what is your excuse for speaking or having a say so on this subject at all? Things are not always what they seem. Even though there are many other facts that prove Israel’s LEGAL ownership of the land, as Christians, the Bible is our final authority. Simple, clear cut, absolute, immutable, this is what we have based all that we believe to be true on. The Bible says: THE LAND BELONGS TO ISRAEL! Jerusalem is the City of the King of Israel!

While we as Christians feel many strong driving emotions for Jerusalem, our connections are purely symbolic and historical. I won’t go into that so much at this outlet, as many would find it offensive. Suffice to say, that as Biblical people, when all is said and done, we are told at a minimum to be a blessing to Israel. The blessing and cursing that comes from this choice alone is enough to send any Christian to their knees. To me, this requires a deeper look, an investigation of sorts, into what is being asked of me. This brings up three major points that I will briefly address:

The current drive to pity the truly illegal occupiers is a farce, clear and simple. While there were a few living in the land at the time of the Balfour Declaration, census figures and reports of the influx of these to move to Israel’s land in order to help their dispute along are enough to prove their shenanigans in this arena. Not to mention the 80% of the land taken back from Israel for them at the beginning of this re-establishment of a Jewish National Homeland, and land given since. Jerusalem isn’t mentioned once, even ONCE in their Koran. There were also Jews and Christians in the land at this time, so this is no basis of ownership at all. Writers, such as Mark Twain, described the “kingdoms” of the few Arabs inhabiting Israeli land at the time, and writes of them as beggarly, treacherously dangerous and diseased. Almost half of the children were blind because of the filth alone, they were starving and abused. This is not a NEW condition of these people.

To judge the seemingly unjust standards with which the “Palestinian” Arabs are treated with by Israel, one must look deeply, further into this real situation on the ground. Millions of dollars, programs and aide have been given to lighten this “load of suffering”, and a large portion of that aide coming from Israel. Yet every Arab “leader” speaks not of peace or building a viable civilization, only of destroying Israel. These “people” try every method available to man to wreak havoc, destruction and despair into the lives of Israelis, all the while camping out on Israel’s land, using the supplies that Israel makes sure they get, and forming new manipulations to persuade the world to hate Israel as much as they do. It is ridiculous and has gone on for far too long. It is time to hold these people to the same standards of expectation that the rest of the world is held to. Investigation is always warranted.

Lastly, the fear of personally being beheaded, bombed or attacked as Christians is very real. The fearful weakness to “cave” to the anxiety this can cause can be a strong one. However shrinking back in fear is not our calling as Christians. Even if we were to give into this fear, insist on giving all that is sacred to Israel, namely Jerusalem and the surrounding lands, to these who twist, turn and berate the truth, we will not be sparing ourselves at all. Remember the blessing and cursing, remember the many attacks worldwide, read the intentions of these people for conquering the world in their Koran. NONE are safe, and giving them one more grain of sand will only cause them to believe more strongly in their doctrine of terror. Giving away Jerusalem is the highest treason of all to our beliefs!

Jerusalem’s Temple Mount in Arab hands has already proven disastrous. Just the amount of antiquities ruined and tossed out with the garbage is a crime never allowed in the past centuries. One Israeli leader setting his feet on the soil of the Temple Mount caused a bloody outpouring that began the second intifada. Do Christians think that our L*rd intended THIS for Israel? What will be the consequences for Israel if more of Jerusalem is given in appeasement? Why would we give more to those who do less and less to prosper and more and more to destroy? Giving away Israel’s Jerusalem is heaping burning coals on their head, taking from them what is rightfully theirs, rubbing their nose in “world power” and endangering them to a much greater degree. While even Israelis may not agree, it is against all that our Scripture and hearts that seek Truth tells us. None of these consequences bring the blessings that we are instructed to bring.

If we, as Christians are to bless Israel, then we must stand for the Truth of ownership from our Scripture, consequences of wrongdoings and the future of Israel. Don’t tell me that, as one of these believers, I am to give away Israel’s land, support those who terrorize her or that any of the boycott efforts against her are in good standing with this G*d of Scripture. If peace is not an option,( and in seeing all the effort that has been made come to naught for this peace, it is impossible to believe any longer,) then we must fight. I urge all Christians to examine this issue more closely, force to allow yourself to view ALL of the facts and pray about what you can do to stop this extermination of our G*d’s beloved, chosen people.

NOTE: I asked RadiantStreams to write about her feelings of Jerusalem from the perspective of her faith, I guess she could not make a discussion thread, so I am posting it for her. Radiant is a thoughtful person and I welcome her thoughts and opinions, not so that they can further divide us along theological boundaries, but so we can find the gaps in our defenses and come together in this critical hour. -- Teo Bear