It was day five. We were celebrating Shabbat while sitting in a Jewish synagogue in the middle of Jerusalem. As I watched the Torah being passed up the aisle, I sat there in amazement as the Jewish rabbis, priests and Jewish males rendered such respect to the holy property! Nevertheless, it was time for us to move on with our tour. I really did not think much more of that particular setting. After all, we were moving on, an action that came rather naturally to us tourists as our days in Israel progressed. Before we left the synagogue, however, I nonchalantly drifted into the restroom. This was pleasant because it meant I would not have to pay a shekel or two to utilize a public restroom… a rarity for Israel! As I made my way into the facilities, a Jewish priest abruptly stopped me. I wasn’t too shocked about such an action. The Jews were friendly people! They didn’t seem to mind talking to anybody. This Jewish priest was no different, but in this particular instance I was not greeted with a “Shalom!” Instead, I was asked deliberate questions. In broken English the priest inquired: “Who are you and what are you doing here?” I quickly responded with a smile and a few words. I mentioned that I was a Christian, university student from the States. I was there on a tour to Israel. My purpose was to strengthen my faith and learn more about Israel so that I can be a better supporter and ambassador for the sake of the Israeli State. The priest then posed one more question to me: “You want to support us?” I looked at him straight in the face and declared: “Absolutely!” He proceeded to slowly put his hand on my shoulder. With a tear rolling down his cheek, he said these words: “You are my brother. Thank you for your support. You do not know what this means to me and all of Israel.” That was it. That was all he said. Though the words seemed trite and unoriginal, they hit me like a ton of bricks. For the first time I felt the weight of what it is like to be a Jew. For the first time on the trip, I felt the weight of what it is like to seemingly have an entire world against you. And for the first time in my life, I felt a sense of patriotism and love sweep over me for a nation and a people that were not my own. Though I may be a Christian Believer and an American citizen, on that day- day five of the trip- I learned that I am also this man’s brother and I am called to support him. I believe we all are. Join the call. Support Israel. #supportIsrael #libertycounsel
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 04:03:23 +0000
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