Good News! ...But Not Really That Good
26 of the Eleventh Month 5770
On my way to work, I saw a man who appeared to be of Asian decent, dressed up more than the usual Philipino attendants to the elderly. At first glance, he could have been a tourist or a visiting professor, albeit an eccentric one.
He was talking to a religious, young man, who seemed backed against a bus stop. It looked a bit suspicious. I heard him speaking in Hebrew, but nothing which would raise a red flag. So, I let it go, and kept walking.
After getting something to eat before heading off to work, I saw this man again, now speaking to a religious woman. They were at the bus stop where I needed to wait for my bus. This man was now speaking in English.
He was talking about some Christian nonsense, and the woman was calmly refuting him. Another young man with a kippah, and an older man without a kippah were beginning to gather in to listen as well.
Without yelling, or even raising my voice, I entered the fray. "This is avodah zarah, idolatry. you are polluting our Land. You are not even allowed to be here."
The woman found the opportunity to walk away, and the younger man yelled after her, "Kol HaKavod!" (Well done!)
He responded with, "Three years ago, I heard the word of god! You cannot ignore the word of god!"
"We already have the word of God. We follow halachah, Torah Law. You're not allowed to be here."
Clearly jarred, he gluided away, still jabbering on.
The younger man yelled after him, "Meshugah!" (crazy!)
The man without a kippah reminded me of the psychological disorder known as "Jerusalem Syndrome," and that maybe the Asian man had it. I said, "Maybe." Even though the symptoms had not been confirmed.
Whether it was better for them to ignore him, to tell at him, or to allow themselves to be engaged by him, aside, they reacted much better than I have seen native Israelis react. Good news.
But for every nut job out there, there are two or more Christians out there, who have done some serious study in workshops, courses, and retreats, how to attack and to steal Jewish souls.
"Rabbis" are praising them.
Political parties are helping them to settle here.
So, unfortunately, my good news wasn't that good after all.
For a summary of Christian motives and strategies in Israel, I recommend the recent article "The New Christian Zionism And The Jews" by Rachel Tabachnick.
Esser Agaroth - Good News! ...But Not Really That Good
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