Last night, I watched and listened to the prayers of the Orthodox Jews. I saw their rhythmic motion and three sporadic jumps ("Holy! Holy! Holy!"). I heard their unintelligible moans. Something authentic seemed to be happening before me as they were calling upon a Power greater than themselves.
Between my own prayers, I wondered to myself, "What are they praying? Was God listening?"
And then I saw three kids wearing jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers who couldn't have been older than 18 work their way toward the Wall. Like the Orthodox Jews, their heads were covered and they seemed very serious about this very spiritual moment. However, rather than carrying a copy of the Hebrew Scriptures, they carried these...
As tears dripped, I wondered to myself, "Whose power do they trust in? What are they praying? Was God listening?"
3 comments:
what an oxymoron...
Four thoughts. First, even with Christ in my heart, all too often I rely on myself and take matters into my own hands. Second, even though I do not now own a gun, I can well imagine that if I had one, I would shoot to defend my family in my home. Third, there is a sense in which we are very much connected, Jews and Christians. Fourth, apart from Jesus, none of us comes to God with clean hands. "Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root, do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you."
On the woman's side of the Western Wall I too saw young girls with guns on their shoulders. My thoughts - I am glad they are at the Wall and have the opportunity to cry their hearts out to a God that loves them - guns and all.
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