Now at Iconium
they entered together
into the Jewish synagogue,
and so spoke that a great
company believed,
both of Jews and of Greeks.
But the unbelieving Jews
stirred up the Gentiles
and poisoned their minds
against the brethren.
[Acts 14:1-2]
**************************
"Lord, I don't know how to
get past this."
"Tell Me, child."
"I can't. It's just
very difficult,
and painful to talk about."
"It's this stuff: all this talk
about...... You know."
"Tell Me."
"Well, I've been thinking
maybe I just can't follow
Christ. It's just all ....
too personal, for me."
[NOD.]
"I'm not sure why
You put all this stuff
in here, anyway?
What were You THINKING?"
[PATIENT SILENCE.]
"It just gets a bit too
personal: all this.....
stuff....about the Jews."
[NOD.]
"I mean, these people
are my FAMILY."
[NOD.]
"I was reading this
part.....what: 5 days ago
in the Bible class?
(silence)
Then, I go to visit my
friend from synagogue..."
"Yes, child?"
"And, she tells me about
the rats: the ones she
had to eat as a child."
"Yes."
"In that sewer place:
eating the skinned rats."
[NOD.]
"It was January, 1943,
and she was a small child."
"Yes."
"Running, and starving......
walking through the
icy water, and getting
the pneumonia in her lungs."
[SILENCE.]
"It was a few weeks, just
after her parents were killed."
[NOD.]
"In Germany."
"Yes."
"And, the kind
farmer's wife -
the one who pushed her
inside the warm
barn, took hold of the
cow's teet,
and squirted the
milk onto her
dry lips....until,
she opened her mouth,
and began to swallow...
(tearful silence)
What a beautiful picture,
my Lord."
"Yes, My beloved."
"So? Do You see
how I feel?
Sitting comfortably
in a classroom.....reading
this...about the Jews
poisoning peoples' minds?"
[NOD.]
"So, what do I do:
stop going to my
Bible studies?
I love Jesus.
(silence)
But, I hate when
anything bad is
said about....."
"My people?"
"I don't understand, Lord!
Why do You talk so much
about the JEWS? Why?
WHY? I don't UNDERSTAND?"
"Because, My beloved,
they are My people."
(silence)
"Who was it,
who gave her the
milk, Lord:
Was It You?"
*****************************
.....These twelve Jesus sent out,
charging them,
Go nowhere among the Gentiles,
and enter no town
of the Samaritans,
but go rather to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel.
And preach as you go......
[Matthew 10:5-7]
_____________________
In memory: Paula's father.
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