Jerusalem Terror. Where’s the Church?
Ron Ross
Bridges for Peace News
Email: ronrossbfp@hotmail.com
8th March 2008
My grandson Ryan Grace arrived in Israel on March 6. We boarded the airport taxi for the one hour trip from Ben Gurion Airport to my home in Jerusalem.
As we neared the city we were stunned by the hectic traffic. Orthodox Jews and Yeshiva students were wandering the streets, almost in a daze. The taxi entered the religious part of the city to deliver a passenger. The crowd in this location was more crowded.
Students, stark in their black hats, coats, white shirts and black ties, were gathered in groups of six or eight men. “Why are they dressed like that?” Ryan enquired. I explained they were orthodox Jews. Many spend their lives in Bible study. Most are poor.
We soon learned of the tragic massacre that ripped into a bible college. A terrorist broke into a college group and killed eight. Others are critically wounded. Some may not survive their injuries.
One of our Bridges for Peace journalists, Joshua Spurlock, hit the streets. He walked among the students, spoke with them and interviewed some. One man he met was a psychologist with the Jerusalem municipality.
He explained why some students could be heard singing religious songs in a nearby auditorium. They were exercising their faith, he said.
Most of the students would soon go to bed, because tomorrow there would be at least eight funerals. He also said some were wondering around the streets looking for friends. There was still no certainty how many were dead or who they were.
All that remained for these students was their faith in God. That will make them strong, he advised.
The Australian Mark Regev is the spokesman for Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He was on every TV channel. He warned Israeli leaders will meet in the next few days to consider how to respond to this sad situation.
US President George W. Bush empathised with Israel. Dr Condoleezza Rice spoke the right words too. She spoke with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni and again employed vivid language to describe ‘this barbaric act.’
Mark Regev spoke more directly. He said the time for talk is over.
The mayor of Sderot has pleaded with the government to protect his citizens. Last week the mayor of Ashkelon joined his call. Now the mayor of Jerusalem is demanding more action to protect the city.
The last time the world stood by and watched the persecution of the Jews, that silence ended up in the death of 6,000,000.
I wonder what Jesus will say to that silent church? I wonder would He expect us not to repeat that loud Quiet? How many Israeli cities must be targeted before words after-the-event is all that we do?
What happens when the first bomb hits the Ben Gurion Airport and international airlines remove Israel from their flight plans?
And what location in Jerusalem, Nazareth or Bethlehem must be hit for the church to say, “O Lord no!!!!”
What does that scripture mean that says, “Having done all stand!” Stand for what? The amazing silence? Or the will of God?
What is the priority for the Christian faith today? We’ve had some great fads in the past. What’s next?
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Three years ago he joined Bridges for Peace in Jerusalem to establish international radio news and an audio service webcast at www.bridgesforpeace.com Ron was Sports Editor of WINTV for 20 years before joining the full-time missions. You can contact Ron at : ronrossbfp@hotmail.com |
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