“No reason to get excited,” the thief he kindly spoke. “There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke. But you and I, we’ve been through that and this is not our fate. So let us not talk falsely, now. The hour is getting late.” (Bob Dylan, “All Along The Watchtower”, Dwarf Music © 1968, 1996) In …Read More
Holy Spirit, ‘fake news’ and the heart of Ruth The Feast of Shavuot/Weeks is upon us (Deuteronomy 16:10). Fifty days have now passed between Pesach/Passover and Shavuot (Leviticus 23:16 – the counting of the Omer, a peck measurement and first-fruits prophetic promise of a coming full harvest). The crest of those calculations has been reached, and now the wave of fulfillment crashes down onto this fourth celebration of God’s seven …Read More
One day, one battle, one Lord, one name
Matthew Miller (better known as Chasidic/reggae beatboxer/rapster Matisyahu) released an April 2008 recording called ‘One Day.’ Speaking about this monster hit Matisyahu said that “it is an anthem of hope with a big beat, the kind of song that makes you bob your head and open your heart at the same time.” The song expresses a confidence that God has put us on this earth for a reason and …Read More
Syria – ancient promises, ancient curses
As the Passover season of deliverance approaches, the world focuses on the Middle East. Chemical warfare near Idlib targeted civilians, causing the gruesome death of nearly 100 (including lots of children) and the injury of more than 500. The cruelty and carnage shake the souls of all who see video footage of the casualties. Syrian fighter-bombers involved in that incident (and operating under a protective Russian military umbrella) were destroyed …Read More
Dissecting Israel
High school Biology teachers often guide their students through the dissection of frogs or fish. The stench of formaldehyde wafts around trembling fingers as scalpels slice through rubbery material. Students squint at the internal organs of the amphibian or the vertebrate and then roughly sketch the physical details. There is no time for lasting emotional connection with the dissected creature, whose remains are soon disposed of in the nearest rubbish …Read More
Cold love and shaking kingdoms
Senator and historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus (54-117 AD) once commented on political transitions in the Roman Empire: “Dum hac totius orbis mutatione fortuna imperii transit” (“With worldwide convulsion the Imperial power was changing hands”). The recent changeover of political power in the USA might not be global in scope, but the world’s scoop-hungry media has whipped up this national news into tsunami-like dimensions. Bitter acrimony has infected American social media more quickly than the Stuxnet virus. Public …Read More