God surprised me. If there is anything that should NOT surprise me, it's that God continues to surprise me. I'm always amazed, however. I just can't see Him coming.
When your plane lands in Israel, you are greeted with, "Welcome home." Home? I did not think it would feel that way. Oh, I expected to love Galilee again, with its tropical breezes, palm trees, and glittering water. It did not disappoint, though it felt much more like Florida than home.
Last time we visited, Jerusalem was a letdown after lovely Galilee. Too many people, too much chaos and traffic and noise to ever be 'home.' I went to Jerusalem expecting to feel like an alien, homesick for familiar comforts. Instead, I fell in love.
The souk (market) in the Old City should have been intimidating. Talk about chaos and noise! Narrow walkways defined by hole-in-the-wall shops. Merchants addressed the tourists, 'Welcome, American lady!' Meat hung unrefrigerated, whole animals skinned with the tail still attached to prove what kind of beast it was (goat, I think). Nike and Adidas sweatshirts hung all over the front of one stall. Just next door, open bins of every kind of candy tempted the passersby, but no one stole even a jelly bean. People jostled to get to wherever they are going. Prices in the souk are not fixed; haggling is expected. Cups of tea or coffee were offered to potential customers. "Looking is free, we love you anyway," we were told when we declined to buy.
The pervasive smell of cumin filled the air. We delighted in one merchant's two-foot-tall pyramid sculpted entirely of herbs and spices. A friendly seller promised 'everything a dollar' because he was soon to move to 'Texas, Houston' where he hoped business would be better.
Apple, one of the waiters at our hotel, greeted us like an old friend as we walked a street over from his shop, then invited us to come and see the beautiful silver-work of his father. When we got there, Apple's jewelry store was guarded only by a wooden bar indicating he was closed. Anyone could have walked in and taken everything. We asked him about his trust. Apple explained sincerely, 'When you are good to people, God is good to you.'
How could you not love a place like that, people like that?
We went every chance we got, buying silver jewelry for loved ones, finding treats like Nestle's chocolate and Kinder eggs, trying the Arabic version of funnel cakes (like ours, only so saturated with sugar that they are hard, like candy, on the outside). Slipping over into the Jewish Quarter to look at beautiful art and eat falafel. Mostly, the joy came in meeting interesting people who wanted very much to be kind, to be acknowledged, to live well in peace. It felt like home.
God surprised me in Jerusalem, showing me glimmers of grace where I expected only anxiety and discomfort. I learned that home is people who care about you, and I found them on the other side of the world.
How could you not love a God like that?
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AMERICAN BARBARISM
"Dear is in the eyes of the Lord's death his saints." (Psalm 116.15)
In recent days, sad news reached the United States and Germany.
In an action of barbarism, a man went to a Baptist church in Marevellous, Illinois, and began firing at the pastor who was preaching in the cult, killing him and wounding two people. The murderer was arrested by the parishioners who were able to reduce it.
Almost a few days later there was another barbarism in Alabama. A man murderer among relatives of 10 people, men, women and children, made a tour of several sites, after being cornered by police, he committed suicide.
But barbarism also transcend borders. In Germany, a couple of 17 years, emulating other suicide Americans entered the armed institute where I studied and killed 13 students among them teachers, in their flight killed two more people, then engage in shootout with police youth suicide was shot in the head.
These facts, which are not the only ones that occur in the United States or Europe, seem to indicate that there is a culture of murder among the people of the northern hemisphere.
On August 12, 2007 in Neosho, Missouri, a man killed a pastor and two worshipers in the cult. There is a history of mass killings of students in Finland in 2008 and Canada in 2006.
Given these facts, the U.S. government, and evangelical churches have done nothing to achieve reverse this situation, which has been happening since long atrás.
I am Christian and express my indignation and my anger against the American evangelical churches that are enclosed in their spiritual bubbles do not realize the harsh reality is happening around them.
How many more must die pastors to the churches just do something to prevent these deaths? How many young students and children have to die to protect the churches decide deranged people?
The Christian life consists not only make social life, and walks. The Christian life is to do something for our society that is crumbling.
Work is not only the state and its institutions to ensure the safety of society, work is also of the church. If that does not understand the American church then they are at the bottom of the sea to fish and evangelicen. Genuine Christians, perhaps in another country, take charge of evangelizing American society.
Why do not intend to make the church a community united in its campaign to disarm the families who have guns?
Why not start with themselves Christians kept their weapons? For a Christian who wants a gun? To remove the evil spirits?
Do not be surprised if this church worsen with the passage of days.
Still time to prevent future massacres.
Do not make the blood of those holy brethren who gave their lives for the church has been spilled in vain
Oh...to visit the place of our Healer's life. As I read your words, they convey a deep love for our Savior. You are appreciated.
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