[PhilThreeten] How Would We Respond to Them?
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PhilThreeten
Jan 5, 2006, 2:55:13 PM1/5/06
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This article at www.haartz.com tells a wonderful story of respect. Each year there are letters from all over the world, including Muslim nations, which are addressed to a variety of deities that have their religious basis in Israel. Most notably for most of the readers of this blog, obviously, are the letters to Jesus.
Rather than dumping these letters to Jesus in the undeliverable mail, the Israel Postal Service takes the letters to the Western Wall and, in line with Jewish tradition, deposits the letters there. The wonder of this, of course, is that non-believing Jews do not recognize Jesus as God. So, why would they do this?
Perhaps there is a respect here that we as Christians could learn from. What would we do to letters sent to our churches addressed to JHWH? Would we have the respect to lift up the prayers contained therein or would we throw them out? When some Christians think it is impossible or unorthodox to even talk to Jewish people, one can’t help but wonder how much respect we would have for their misappropriated mail.
I would challenge those believers that disagree with me that there is something bigger here for us to learn from the Israel Postal Service. They could easily throw these letters out and be justified. It would cost them less in both time and money. The God (or god, as the case may be) that these letters are addressed to are not the JHWH that they worship. Instead, they allow God to be the judge of which prayers He will listen to and which He will not. They recognize that God is bigger than their own understanding of Him and that if He desires to ignore a prayer brought to the Western Wall, then He can do that – but, of course, the emphasis is on HE can decide that.
Do we allow God to be that big? Do we allow Him to be the judge? Do we allow Him to decide whom He will listen to and whom He will not? Before an assault of comments come saying that I am watering down the Gospel, please understand that I think it is our responsibility to proclaim what we in faith believe. But can God work in mysterious ways or in the most unusual of circumstances through the most unusual of means? I think He can.
This story challenges us to bring before God not only the prayers of non-believers…I’m sure that many believers already do that. Instead, it challenges us to bring people before God, in whatever state they may be, and allow God to deal with them. We are not in the reconciliation, redemption, or remaking business – that’s God’s job. Our job is to faithfully introduce Him to others. We get our jobs mixed up sometimes…
Categories: Living
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Posted by PhilThreeten to PhilThreeten at 12/29/2005 03:52:00 PM
Rather than dumping these letters to Jesus in the undeliverable mail, the Israel Postal Service takes the letters to the Western Wall and, in line with Jewish tradition, deposits the letters there. The wonder of this, of course, is that non-believing Jews do not recognize Jesus as God. So, why would they do this?
Perhaps there is a respect here that we as Christians could learn from. What would we do to letters sent to our churches addressed to JHWH? Would we have the respect to lift up the prayers contained therein or would we throw them out? When some Christians think it is impossible or unorthodox to even talk to Jewish people, one can’t help but wonder how much respect we would have for their misappropriated mail.
I would challenge those believers that disagree with me that there is something bigger here for us to learn from the Israel Postal Service. They could easily throw these letters out and be justified. It would cost them less in both time and money. The God (or god, as the case may be) that these letters are addressed to are not the JHWH that they worship. Instead, they allow God to be the judge of which prayers He will listen to and which He will not. They recognize that God is bigger than their own understanding of Him and that if He desires to ignore a prayer brought to the Western Wall, then He can do that – but, of course, the emphasis is on HE can decide that.
Do we allow God to be that big? Do we allow Him to be the judge? Do we allow Him to decide whom He will listen to and whom He will not? Before an assault of comments come saying that I am watering down the Gospel, please understand that I think it is our responsibility to proclaim what we in faith believe. But can God work in mysterious ways or in the most unusual of circumstances through the most unusual of means? I think He can.
This story challenges us to bring before God not only the prayers of non-believers…I’m sure that many believers already do that. Instead, it challenges us to bring people before God, in whatever state they may be, and allow God to deal with them. We are not in the reconciliation, redemption, or remaking business – that’s God’s job. Our job is to faithfully introduce Him to others. We get our jobs mixed up sometimes…
Categories: Living
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Posted by PhilThreeten to PhilThreeten at 12/29/2005 03:52:00 PM
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