This sign was right across from the Church of the Nativity. As usual, Bethlehem is ground zero for where the dragon makes war with the lamb, for hope & history to war with one another. As usual, tension in the air.
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As usual, Palestinian Christians are getting screwed by, oh, everyone else. It’s Christmas time, yet tourists are too afraid to come to Bethlehem again. Everybody knew that President Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would de-stabilize the region, with no real strategic goal. Except—flex for the base. A war-mongering base that would rather usher in an apocalypse than prevent one in Jesus’ name. A base that doesn’t actually care about Israelis or Palestinians, despite their pro-Israel talk…because they’re all just pawns on an eschatological chess board. Knock them down, stand them up, who cares, so long as I get raptured?
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These are not the things that make for peace. Our reckless gestures send real shockwaves across the land where Abraham’s sons live in such fragile peace, many in pieces.
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These are Abraham’s sons too, on the wrong side of apartheid. Still, throughout the ancient land, in places like Bethlehem, is a strong presence of those who worship the risen Christ. God is moving in Palestine. Yet they wonder year after year, why their brothers & sisters in the West uncritically support every move of one nation-state, & won’t even recognize they have Palestinian family who share in the body & blood of Christ?
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Yeah I hate your presumptuous charts & graphs & your hackneyed prophecy schemes-your apocalyptic fantasies at the cost of your sister’s dreams. It is not the way of the King or of the Kingdom, the certitude you grasp at the expense of their safety.
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Bad eschatology kills. Made for TV prophets raise support for a war machine, when the Lamb has already won the war. If it is not for peace for both Isaraeli & Palestinian, Jew & Arab, Christian & Muslim, it is from hell, & back to hell it must go. Frivolous charlatans with your polyester Armageddon, who don’t know the difference between real people in the Middle East & figures on some flannel-graph! The King will yet make this right when he comes round.