Richard Littlejohn reports boldly, enthusiastically and movingly for Channel 4 on an appalling recent rise of antisemitism which has arisen within Britain during the past ten years, such that a Parliamentary committee convened to investigate the rise of antisemitic behaviour was shocked by its intensity and scope.
Channel 4 have made this available for free video streaming via their 4oD service. Most web browsers will open the video automatically, by clicking here (don’t be put off by two short adverts which run first); alternatively you can watch it by opening this link within a media player (CTRL+U, within player)
The content is shocking (how marvellous to see a journalist who is visibly upset by what he reports, unlike the current crop of immutable apologists for terrorists and anyone voicing anti-American or anti-British views) — a Manchester school with full-time security guards and bomb-proof windows, which a senior policeman regards as completely necessary; one hundred graves (not just gravestones) smashed in one night; Middle-East resurrection of the blood and Protocols libels, Arabic translations of Mein Kampf being sold in London newsagents — but very worth watching.
My personal observation of post-modernist and emergent Christian thinkers is that they appear to tend towards having some difficulty empathising with the Jewish link that many streams of the Christian church historically consider a fairly central element to their theology / worldview. Dispensational theology, Jerusalem-fever cults, supercessionist theology, Palestinian empathy, anti-Zionism and a determination to avoid being manipulated by ‘Holocaust guilt’ all seemingly play a role.
My question, thus, is this: what role does the emerging church see for Christians in relationship with an embattled Jewish community?
- Do we predicate support upon a further driving of the wedge between the state of Israel and the diasporic Jewish communities?
- Do we recognise and embrace the despicable history of European antisemitism, in order to ally ourselves to the truth that is able to bring repentance, healing and restoration?
- Or do we deny it and use the masquerade of postmodernism to become a distraction from justice which allows evil to prosper because "good people do nothing"?
- Do we deny any sense of "commonwealth" with the Jewish people, essentially drawing a line between the new and former Jewish covenants and classifying any need for Jewish empathy as just the same as that of any other oppressed group?
- Do we allow our political support for Palestinian and left-wing causes to blind us to any possibility of empathy with Jews and the Jewish causes?
- Or do we secretly embrace elements of antisemetic belief that the Jews are deserving of whatever they get, because of the Deuteronomic curses?
- Or do we embrace the idea that, as followers of the Jewish Messiah, and the God who gave himself the surname of the Jewish Patriarchs, we have a peculiar common heritage with the Jews?
- Do we go further and embrace a notion of filial loyalty towards the Jewish people, even while their minds remain blinded to the identity of the Messiah we recognise in Jesus?
- Do we dare to empathise with them against cultural mores and movements in which the distortion of Jewish identity, heritage and culture are easy prey to journalistic and artistic licence?
These are admittedly polemically worded questions. I make no secret of personally wanting to be a friend to Jews and to Israel. Others will see it very differently. Go ahead and explain your view of the emerging church’s disposition towards Israel.
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