My Jew Heart Part 1

My Jew Heart Part 1

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

I'm calling this recording My Jew Heart. First, I want to thank my family. I asked them to pray for me that I would be able to thread the needle as I make this appeal to a people I love very much. I've always been very proud of the Jews. And when I say Jew, this is not a curse word to me. I wrote a letter to the Jews 25 or 30 years ago, and they thought I was calling them a dirty word. It's just, it's to me, it's an honorable word. The Jewish people are authors of the Word of God, and they hold the title God's Chosen People. I wouldn't cross my mind to look down on the Jews. I just don't. I know very, very many bitter things have been said about the Jewish people by foolish people. But these people need to look in the mirror and realize that anything the Jews did, they would have done also. I first want to reference something that was set on for Heaven's sake, July 1st. They're talking about the Heredi insurrection. And Yossi mentioned in speaking with them he wanted to sincerely use soft language, speak with respect, but with determination, and have the attitude that I wish we could continue to carry you. And I have enormous respect for you. To this, Daniel felt like he was whitewashing it. But I didn't sense Yossi was. I thought his heart was very, very sincere. Yossi, I mean, uh yeah, Yossi wanted to speak with love and gratitude for them. His attitude is the last repository for the struggle of holiness. I thought that was insightful. Wanted to speak without rage or hatred. This reminds me of the promise I made to a rabbi nine years ago that he interpreted, and I understand why, some of my writings as being hateful, but I'm not here to justify myself. But I didn't mean them to be hateful, but I see where he's coming from. And I promised him I would never I would never do that again. I would never I never want to write or say anything that would lead somebody to believe I'm hateful toward the Jews. Now, if some people, you know, take anything I say as being hateful, then I, you know, there's not much, you know, I can do about that. Like they say, you can't help stupid. And he said, you better have an intransigent opening position. So I've looked at these many times, and I feel like this is where my heart and mind are. So here's my opening statement. And it is intransigent. I love the Jewish people, and my life is metaphor. This statement evokes two questions within me. One, why am I a Zionist? Now I know I'm just throwing that word out, but I am. I am a Zionist. And two, why do I believe my life is metaphor for our relationship with God? So let's begin with why am I a Zionist? As a young teenager, I fell in love with the Jewish people as I read the scriptures, as I read the Bible, I fell in love with the Old Testament. I love the stories. And as I grew up and learned of your great military and your no-nonsense way of dealing with your enemies, I was just impressed and overwhelmed with respect because it was congruent with how I felt like King David did things. And I believe Jews must be in the promised land for God to do one more great, mighty, and awe-inspiring work. This is why I believe that God has built within the Jewish people amazing resilience. It's just amazing what the Jewish people have endured and withstood. You know, when I visited Rabbi David's synagogue, he took me around and it was very touching. He wanted my heart to be touched with what the Jewish people had endured. And it was touched, and it's touched at this very moment. He has helped the Jewish people stand amazingly firm against a satanic and evil hatred of you. The hatred of you is just astounding to me. Now I'm well aware we are from two entirely different worlds. Boy, are we from two entirely different worlds. But our worlds do have, in my opinion, a commonality. Both our religions are hopelessly divided. Spin this into a virtue if you need to, but in my opinion, it's not. I've read Christian authors who try to make the dissension within the church a virtue. I just have one word for this bullshit. If a place, a synagogue or a church, if the people disagree on the color of the carpet and they can get together and finally agree, that's a virtue. But disagreeing on the on the fundamentals and the very basics of religion, sorry, not a virtue, in my opinion. Both our religions have serious moral decay. Serious moral decay. I mean, the last year or two, I've been listening to these Jewish podcasts, and I am just like, wow, what is happening that a significant segment of the Jewish population is so filled with hatred, it's as if they've lost their moral compass and their spiritual direction. Both of our left flanks are awash and faithless, foolish, gobbledygoop. Both of our right flanks are lovelessly harsh, clearly violating the letter and the spirit of Moses. And I see no real joy, happiness, or contentment in either of our religions. I listen to these Jewish podcasts, and I feel like I pick up this lack of joy and uh lack of joy and consternation between the lines and sometimes right on the line. I've seen for fifty years now what every thinking person knows. There's something seriously wrong with the church, and they all run hither and yon trying to fix it. But the more they try to fix it, the worse it seems to get. There are more and more churches on the corners of small towns and big towns all across America, where I drive. I'm thinking at least Elijah only had to deal with two opinions. Today the opinions, the opinions are legion in both our religions. And I would venture to say that not a few Jewish intellectuals have seen the same dynamic in their religion. To me, it's truly as if Ichabod is written on the header of both of our beloved institutions. And both the American dream and the Israeli dream, in my opinion, are in severe peril. What am I getting at? What am I getting to? I'm just wondering if dialogue between people from both camps whose hearts are broken from the brokenness would be of benefit.