With these new names comes the "resurrection of memories" that have forever shaped who I am today. Some I remember, some I was unaware of until recently. Here's one.
Jew & Gentile.
A hot topic. History tells us that Jews are God's special people, created and separated for His purpose and glory. They would bring salvation/deliverance to the known world through their Messiah. The people outside of this nation were Gentiles. Just call us pagans :-) We are the epitome of defilement. That history comes with some problems. Misinterpretation. "Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated" has been the most twisted and misunderstood passage of scripture. John 3:16 tells us that God's love has always and will always be for "the whole world", His entire creation. His love is not limited to Israel. It never was. It could never be. But they were His special instrument to carry out His love story to us all. We need to remember that and honor that. You think I lived in Spring Valley because the grass was greener than in the South Bronx? Oh it was. The SB had no grass! I believe God allowed me to live in Spring Valley so I could be completely surrounded by His special people for a season in my life. Look at the last names on my South Madison-ites list in Facebook. Every person's name ends with "-itz, -berg, -man, -xler, -cek, -stein, -artz, etc. I was in the suburban capital for Jews. Monsey had the heavy hitters, the Hasidim's. And I had a grandfather that drilled into us, like there was no tomorrow, "those are God's special people, honor and respect them wherever you go".
The Gentile was to be grafted in, through the grace of the Jewish people. They were to make provisions for the Gentiles living in their homes and in their communities. We were to find our refuge and covering under their promises. I learned that in Spring Valley. The Szpicek's taught me that. They embraced me as their own, taught me the culture, the food, the celebrations, the joy and the pain of wandering, waiting for the Messiah to come.
I, on the other hand, believe that Messiah has come. I believe Him to be Jesus of Nazareth. How could one deny this? Look at the Torah, the prophets, the complete Old Testament. If you can't look and see with your own eyes that all roads point to Jesus, look with your heart...in faith. It's all there. He didn't come the way they expected. But that's ok. It's not about how we want Him to come. It's about Him. He can come anyway He wants. His coming as a suffering servant throws us off. Not very patriotic or powerful. But that is mystery of God in Christ. Much too much to say about that in a blog. Visit Crossroads. We talk those things up all the time.
But the Szpicek never held my faith against me. They embraced my faith. Heck...Gary Szpicek came with me to church when The Brooklyn Tabernacle was on Flatbush Ave. He loved it! He begged me to take him again and again. (He also begged me to take him skiing. I did. He broke his leg the first time down the mountain. He begged me no more) I learned these things in that home. It wasn't the perfect home. It didn't have to be. It just had to be a real home. It was. But now at 42, this Jew/Gentile thing runs deep. I've seen them exist together in ways that only reveal the true nature of Jehovah. I wear a cross on my neck with the star of David. I get a lot of strange looks, even dirty looks from people. A gas attendant in L.A. wanted to fight me because of my jewelry. But I wear it because I believe the star to represent "the hope of Messiah" and the cross to be "the fulfillment of Messiah". I can dream of a day where Jew and Gentile live together in peace and harmony because I lived this thing myself in Spring Valley. The Cortese' and the Szpicek's are living proof that God's plan worked, works and will work.
What about the Jesus thing? Don't worry. For every Jew that is not having it, there will be, according to scripture, a special meeting/session between God and His people to show them that the nail scarred hands and open wound on His side......is He, the Anointed One. "All of Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:26)
I'm not trying to sound melodramatic. This thing is for real. Jabob, Ruth, Gary, Sandra, Debra....let's show them how we do it up in this place!!!!
