Monday, November 17, 2003

Being Jewish and Christian-- part 2

In part one last week I outlined the problem and controversy facing a Messianic Jewish Presbyterian Church plant congregation in Philadelphia. Today I want to look at the issues raised by the controversy.

First, a disclaimer. I am the son of a Jewish mother and Gentile father. That makes me technically Jewish as far as the Law of Return is concerned. (My grandchildren, at least, would still be Jewish as far as Hitler was concerned.) I became a Christian at the age of 15, two years after my Bar Mitzvah and the subsequent death of my mother to cancer. I was always in many ways a cultural Gentile. I lived in a rural town where there were only two or three 100% Jewish families. It was my father's family's hometown. My mother was from Brooklyn. I learned more about Judaism after I became a minister than I knew from my childhood. I do not consider myself a Messianic Jew. I am culturally Gentile with a deep appreciation of my Jewish heritage. I am a Christian.

Second, I have never been a big supporter of the Messianic Jewish movement within Christianity. I have understood its roots and desires and theology. I can see why there would be a desire to worship in more traditional Jewish style as a Jew becoming Christian. I just never liked the approach of groups like Jews for Jesus.

So, then, what are the issues?
    - - Anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is a deadly virus that is impossible to get rid of. It has been twisted into and out of the Gospels. It has been the scourge of Western Civilization. It is the grand-daddy of prejudices having been around in one form or another in the Church since at least the Fourth Century. Many of us in the church, Jewish heritage or not, are rightly afraid of its continuing existence. I hear it often. I have been the recipient of its anger, ignorance, and fear. As Christians we are rightly afraid of being seen as anti-Semitic, hence the controversy over Mel Gibson's movie. When the Jewish faith is challenged, as it is in any traditional Christian evangelism, we rush to make sure that we are not being seen as intolerant, anti-Semites. Hence we deny the possibility of outreach and evangelism to anyone Jewish who might be even the slightest bit interested in Christianity. Evangelism - in and of itself - is not anti-Semitic. The Gospels, written in a time and place far different from ours are not anti-Semitic. Sadly, they have been twisted and misapplied as such.

The root of Christian anti-Semitism is the mistaken understanding that someone had to be guilty of the crime of killing Jesus. By the words of Scripture, it would appear that the Jews are the ones. It becomes the crime of deicide- killing God. How easily and quickly we forget that what was done was done for the purpose of salvation- not condemnation. It was my sin, your sin- all our sins that killed Jesus. It is not a crime of the Jews. It was the will of God. I have a hunch that it has been easier for people to blame this on someone else so as not to have to face the fact that if anyone killed Jesus, it's each one of us.

    - - Tolerance and Acceptance of Diversity. We have come to feel that in order to be tolerant and accepting of diversity we have to water down our own faith to an innocuous pablum so as not to say or do anything that might be interpreted as offensive. The sad thing is that such an approach also forces the other religion to be watered down into innocuous pablum- or a dangerous enemy. True tolerance and acceptance will see the differences and accept them as normal without judging whether one is better or worse. It does not deny the uniqueness of anyone.

    - - Evangelism. It is often seen as triumphalistic or arrogant. It has been handled just that way far too often. There is the attitude that "my God is bigger and better than your God- and I'm going to show you how." Many want to stay away from that image- and again- rightly so. There are still groups of Christians around whom I can't use the term "evangelism." It strikes them of intolerance. It is time to stop the word games and share the Good News in our lives. Let us not be afraid to say who we are and what we are about. To evangelize is to allow people to meet the Lord and Savior of our lives. It is not to enter into a debating society.

    - - Culture and Tradition. We forget too easily that our faith is always wrapped in a cultural cloak. I am impressed that some people have taken the time and energy to develop a Jewish Christian worship. It is, I would hope, culturally relevant to the people in attendance. It is a connection with their roots. But it is different. When someone or something is different, we are afraid. Very simply, a Messianic Jewish congregation doesn't look Christian. There must be something wrong with it.

These are some of the issues that I see in the controversy. The questions becomes, how can we truly be evangelistic while upholding the personal integrity of those we are talking to and having tolerance for them and their faith positions? Do we have to "put-down" or even openly "deny" other religions in order to share the Good News of Jesus Christ? Or is just the act of sharing in and of itself an act of violence against other cultures, religions, and peoples, as some have claimed? More later.