arisenow ISSUE #9 / December 2014
THE NOBILITY OF MAN
When Christ appeared in the fullness of time, he restored peace between God and mankind
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THE GARDEN
OF LIFE
A story of tears, hope and restoration
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OUR vision is to courageously and creatively teach, live and share God’s passion for the young generation and stand firm by His plans for Israel and the world. Blessings from Jerusalem,
Jani Salokangas WORKING IN: USA, Canada, Germany, Finland, Norway, England, Philippines, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Namibia, Switzerland...
Rooted in the powerful scripture of Ephesians 5:14, Arise stands to unlimitedly glorify God: to inspire and promote Biblical truths into young people’s everyday lives. Arise devotes itself to cause a generation to arise for spiritual awakening, works of love and support for Israel.
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CREDITS
International Director JANI SALOKANGAS Media Strategist EMANUEL MFOUKOU International Administrator SARAH AJILEYE AriseNow editors EMANUEL MFOUKOU AND JANI SALOKANGAS Proof reading BEVERLEY DWYER
From its beginning in 2002 the ARISE movement has had one mission – to gather students and young people from across the globe to live a life centered in God. We believe that God has a special plan for each person and it is our responsibility to live that calling to its fullest potential. Above all we want this generation to see and discover the unique and crucial plan that God has for Israel in His epic world redemptive plan. The Arise movement is spreading worldwide. Join the movement today!
Graphics / Illustration JANI SALOKANGAS Writers JANI, EMANUEL, SARAH, JURGEN BUHLER, PAUL PARKHOUSE, JOEL BIEGLER, MARYSA BONNEMA , JURGEN BUHLER. Photography JANI, EMANUEL, POND 5, PER ARNE KVAMSO ARISENOW is published by Arise ICEJ. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. International Christian Embassy Jerusalem www.icej.org
For more information contact us www.arisegeneration.org arisegeneration@icej.org Telephone: +972-2-539-9700 PO Box 1192 Jerusalem 91010 Israel
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From the leader’s pen
W
e have come to the end of the year and as it has become my personal custom. It is a time where I can take an honest look at my past year and see my weaknesses and strengths. I have found that reflecting plays a crucial role in the learning process of my life. Reflecting the total sum of the year and consolidating it in my mind and paper helps me to understand what did I actually didn’t do and did do. Usually people don’t like to do for couple of reasons: they’re too busy, they don’t enjoy analysing reality, too lazy or simply don’t understand the importance of it.
O
ur year consists of 8760 hours into which many laughs, tears, challenges, failures and succecces are
milkshaked together. Filtering this milkshake into pieces has shown me clearly what God did and has done in my family’s life during the past year. This simply has always reinforced that God truly was and is there in my life and that He truly answered many prayers. Without this “filtering” many answered prayers would go un-noticed.
M
ore importantly this end of the year reflection puts me to think have I truly being a reflection of Christ during the past year. This is by no means an easy reflection but it is a very purifying, painfull but teaching process. Life is simply too short to keep doing the same things over againg expecting different results. If we are not able to recognise our mistakes we will keep repeating them. Being able to detect our strenghts
is equally important in able to refine these strenghts, talents and gifts that each and every one of us posses.
I
encourage each one of you to reflect your past year in order to recognize the areas which need improvement and also the areas which need to be totally changed. Remember God wants you to reflect His glory on earth so take an hour or two to reflect 2014 and strategise 2015 how can you shine Jesus even better.
Hot articles in this issue The nobility of man
page 7
The Garden of Life
page 9
The burning bush
page 13
Worship
page 16
The Unimaginable
page 18
The coming Flood
page 20
Which side
page 22
Re-Discovering the lost path
page 23
Fresh Generation
page 30
Peace with Music
page 32
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Jani Salokangas is the Arise International Director and he is based in Jerusalem with his family.
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THE NOBILITY OF MAN Jurgen Buhler | Photography Pond5
”So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) One of the greatest tenets of the Christian faith is what the theologian Erich Sauer called “the nobility of man”. We are all created in the likeness of God. This is what sets humanity apart from the rest of Creation. For men compose symphonies, write novels, invent sophisticated tools, and research the secret complexities of the Universe. We display divine creativity in every part of our lives. Even the most advanced primates are light-years apart from the glory which God placed in mankind.
One of the character traits which God placed within humanity as part of our divine nature was that He gave man free will. We can choose to follow Him or not. We can choose to believe and obey Him or to rebel against Him.
All women and men are created in the image of God. This very truth forms the basis of Western civilization. It gives value and dignity to every human being and demands that they are treated with respect and equality, no matter our race, religion or gender. This sets the biblical faith and worldview apart from every other religion. What is even more striking is that the God Who created us did so with a very special purpose. Every evening in “the coolness of the day”, He would come to converse with the newly formed couple in the Garden of Eden. God talked to them about their daily lives and enjoyed their fellowship because they were like Him. In His word, God often calls us His children. No other faith offers such a personal relationship with a God Who likes to spend time with His creation. Sadly, this original purpose of mankind was lost in that same Garden. One of the character traits which God placed within humanity as part of our divine nature was that He gave man free will. We can choose to follow Him or not. We can choose to believe and obey Him or to rebel against Him. The fall in Eden thus became the tragedy of Creation, of history and of mankind.
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But God from the very beginning knew perfectly well that this possibility existed. So before anything was created, He already provided a way for men to come back to the Father. That is why the Book of Revelation describes Jesus as “the lamb slain before the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). This means that even before creation, God already understood that He would need to provide humanity with a means of redemption. The manner in which this salvation was provided underscores in a marvellous way the nobility of man. David, the King of Israel, already grasped that the sacrifices of rams and bulls would not be sufficient to restore those whom the Lord created in His own image. In order to accomplish this, God Himself would have to come down in the form of His only begotten son. Thus the birth of Christ underlines man’s glorious calling. ”And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John1:14) It was already announced through the Hebrew prophets that the one who would be born to redeem his people would be called ”Immanuel”, ”the mighty God”, and the ”One from everlasting”. Therefore, Christmas represents a divine affirmation to those who are created in the ‘likeness of God’. It is a kiss from God to re-
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store our nobility. Through Christ’s birth, death and resurrection, we are restored back to the family of heaven. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brethren. What a wonderful truth! God came to dwell among us. The angles broke out in praise: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14). When Christ appeared in the fullness of time, he restored peace between God and mankind and showed His goodwill towards those created in His image. So let us thank God for this incredible calling to be part of His family. And let us commit ourselves to walk worthy of this noble calling. ”Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (1 Peter 1:18-20) On behalf of the ICEJ leadership and staff in Jerusalem and all around the world, we extend to you and your loved ones our prayers and best wishes for a very blessed and merry Christmas. May God use us powerfully in the coming year to bless His chosen people Israel! •
THE
GARDEN
Life OF
Emanuel Mfoukou | Photography Jani Salokangas
On a sunny October day, AriseNow set out to harvest olives in what has been called the “Garden of Life.� To reach this garden one has to descend from Jerusalem and travel towards Tel Aviv to a place called Latrun, situated in the Judean foothills. It was in the vicinity of this place that the biblical city of Emmaus was located and where God made the sun and the moon to stand still in favor of Joshua.
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The Garden of Life was founded in 2010 by an Israeli Christian anti-abortion organization called Bead Chaim, and serves as a place to remember babies who have died before their birth as a result of miscarriage or abortion. These unborn babies are commemorated by the planting of Cypress trees, and at present some 1300 trees are growing in the garden. In a discussion with Sandy Shoshani, director of Bead Chaim, we learned that people are coming from all corners of the world to plant trees in memory of their unborn children. According to her knowledge the garden is unique, as there is only one other place with a similar function to the Garden of Life in the whole world. “The Garden of Life is first of all a place for restoration, healing, prayers and worship. It is a place where God and human beings can meet and be restored by the Holy Spirit. When you lose a child through miscarriage, people tell you, get over it. If you have an abortion, people will let you know that nothing is wrong and that you did the right thing, and as a result you are missing out on the chance to grieve and mourn. The whole point with the garden is therefore to plant a tree in memory of the baby, provide healing and to give the parents a closure.” Sandy explains that the majority of the people coming to the garden are women, but that also men and couples are coming from Israel and all around the world. “It is important to remember that this garden is situated in the valley of Ayalon, and that in the book of Joshua, the sun and the moon stopped over this area. In this place God has a special appointment with the people, where time stops and they can leave everything behind and look forward. Many plant the trees with tears, and some also write a letter to God and their child which they bury with the tree.”
child
When you lose a through miscarriage, people tell you, get over it. If you have an abortion, people will let you know that nothing is wrong and that you did the right thing, and as a result you are missing out on the chance to grieve and mourn.
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At the moment a path of restoration and healing which will run through the garden is under construction. This path will consist of twelve stations with different bible scriptures and symbols, and will further help the process of restoration. Sandy continues by explaining that in the near future, due to a new law which recently was passed in the Israeli Parliament, couples who have lost an unborn child will have the right to bury that child. “The law is in one way giving value to the unborn child, and as there is a tremendous need for a dignified and honorable place of burial for these children, the Garden of Life will also be a location where they can find a final resting place.” While visiting the Garden of Life we had the opportunity to harvest olives from one of the many olive trees growing in the sanctuary. It was a joy participating in this ancient Middle Eastern farming tradition by shaking the trees and making sure to pick the olives from their tender branches. We shook the trees and removed the olives with special rakes; where after the olives fell on to plastic sheets that we had placed on the ground beforehand. We then collected the olives and took them to the olive press where by a process of crushing and pressing they were transformed into pure olive oil, or healing oil, as Sandy prefers to call it. “What is meaningful is that this oil originates in the Garden of Life, where these special trees are planted in commemoration of unborn children. The taste of this special oil will be part of the healing, and the oil from the Garden of Life is available for a donation of NIS50.” In a concluding remark, Sandy explained that everyone is welcome to come and plant a tree in memory of their unborn children. The best way is to come in person, but if for some reason that isn’t possible, the organization is able to plant a tree in your stead. • For more information, contact info@beadchaim.com
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burning Emanuel Mfoukou | Photography Emanuel Mfoukou
THE
BUSH
A STORY OF FORGIVENESS
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During a recent visit to the Garden of Life where we helped Bead Chaim harvest Olives, God began a process of extraordinary healing in my life, which eventually would be the closest to a burning bush experience I have ever been. Arriving in Latrun and going to the location where the unborn children have a sanctuary of their own, I was met by Efraim and Rachel, two of the overseers of the Garden of Life. They provided the necessary equipment and gave a brief history of the garden explaining that it is a place of restoration and healing. On this day, the late October sun on the Shfela plain was burning the skin. The birds were singing, while at the same time a gentle wind was caressing the atmosphere. As I was shaking the Olive tree I could hear how the olives fell to the ground, and I experienced an incredible closeness to the land that gave the world the bible. Here was I, harvesting Olives, a trade with thousands of years of history, in the very area where God stopped the sun and the moon. While the olives were falling to the ground I began to think about the process they have to go through before their transformation into oil, and how they are shaken, crushed and pressed. Isn’t it the same thing with restoration, I thought to myself? Before restoration can reach full circle there is much pain and suffering, shaking, crushing and pressing that needs to take place. I thought about my own life and my own mistakes. Having been raised in church, brought up as a typical church boy who sang in the choir and was involved in youth work, I thought I knew moral from immoral acts. I couldn’t believe how people could hate one another for the color of their skin or religion, how people could lie and backstab one another. I couldn’t believe how people could indulge in alcohol or other drugs, be occupied with pre martial sex or commit murderous and amoral acts such as abortion. Nevertheless, this would change as I finished high school and one day came face to face with reality. To make a long story short, new environments and new friends led me down a path where church was no longer a priority. As a result, parties, alcohol and women became part of this church boy’s everyday life, and eventually my then girlfriend became pregnant. I found out about the news while working abroad for the summer, and when she asked me to come and stay at her side and give her the support that she needed, I totally ignored her request. Looking back at the situation it was clear that my behavior was that of a coward. I didn’t understand that any boy is capable of creating a child, but only a real man can look after it. I ignored the woman carrying my child and who wanted to keep it. This dumbfounded ignorance and childish irresponsible behavior eventually led to an abortion.
sponsible behavior once again reached the surface. Often times I thought about the child and asked for God’s forgiveness, and even though I felt and knew in my heart that God had forgiven me, it was through a visit to the Garden of Life that the process of healing and restoration was divinely confirmed. After having finished harvesting olives, I sat down under an olive tree and asked God to once again forgive me for my past behavior and made up my mind that I would plant a tree in memory of my child. Then I prayed for the child, and that God would fully restore and completely heal my then girlfriend, and myself. As I hadn’t met or spoken with the girl in question for at least a decade, I concluded that I wouldn’t contact her and tell her about my plans to plant a tree, fearing that it might bring up painful memories, and afterwards, I left the garden and headed back up to Jerusalem. It wasn’t until a month later while on a visit to Eilat that I would see the fruits of my prayers, and while God in the past has given me several visions, I dare to say that this is the closest to a burning bush experience I have ever been. One night while sleeping in my room I suddenly woke up with a troubled heart. I felt an extreme urge to pray for a colleague who currently was trapped in the Syrian city of Kobane threatened by the dark forces of ISIS. The urge to pray was fearful, and it almost felt like her very life hinged on this prayer. As my spirit was fighting with my flesh to remain in the bed, the spirit eventually overcame and I forced myself out of the bed, raised my hands and prayed to God for her protection. Having finished, I returned to my bed and continued my prayers in a state where I was half awake and half asleep, and as I slumbered, my praying was replaced with a dream.
As my spirit was fighting with my flesh to remain in the bed, the spirit eventually overcame and I forced myself out of the bed, raised my hands and prayed to God for her protection. Having finished, I returned to my bed and continued my prayers in a state where I was half awake and half asleep, and as I slumbered, my praying was replaced with a dream.
While I was scarred by the abortion, I tried to push it as far as I could into my sub consciousness, and it wasn’t until I returned to the Lord several years later that my actions of ignorance and irrewww.arisegeneration.org
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In the dream I found myself in a church. The service had just finished and a man came up to me and told me that he had been hurt by my actions. While the man was somehow familiar I didn’t know him, but I knew that I in one way or another had hurt him, and I asked him to forgive me. After a while he told me that he would forgive me, but urged me not to repeat my wrongdoings. While we were talking, my girlfriend with whom I went through the abortion and which I haven’t seen for over 10 years, suddenly came up to me. She looked exactly like I had known her and her voice sounded just like I remembered it. We hugged one another, and expressed joy to have met again after all these years, and afterwards I left the church, and danced in the streets to Kurt Carr’s “In the Sanctuary,” a song that still played in my mind when I woke up. My dream would have been just a dream, if it hadn’t been for the message that I found on my phone as I woke up the next morning. It was a long message from my ex-girlfriend who told me that she was extremely saddened by the way I acted during her pregnancy some 13 years ago, but that despite my behavior she was ready to fully forgive me. With the dream fresh on my mind I understood that this was God’s way of telling me that I had been forgiven, that my wounds had been healed and that I had been fully restored. I fell down on my knees, tears streaming down my face, and I thanked the Lord for his faithfulness. CEDAR TREES PLANTED IN MEMORY OF UNBORN CHILDREN
With this confirmation in mind I knew that the last step in my healing process was to plant a tree in memory of my unborn child, a tree that will grow in the Garden of life in the Ayalon valley where God stopped time, not only for Joshua, but also for me. Here, Joshua won the battle over the five Amorite kings, and here on the Shfela plains, I myself won a battle and received healing and restoration. Today, the suffering connected to abortions is often times solely linked to women, but it is equally important to remember that men are just as affected, even though society want to admit it or not. With this testimony I urge all men who at one point in their lives have gone through an abortion, to stand up and to seek God for forgiveness. The power that lies within the concept of teshuva or repentance, the act of turning around and admitting your wrongdoings is indescribable, and if done with a clean heart will have revolutionizing effects on your life. To have committed an abortion is a serious offense which can have deep implications and hamper God’s purposes for your life, but through God’s faithfulness and restoring powers you can be forgiven. •
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EXPLORE
ISRAEL
21ST - 31ST JULY 2015
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Worship Worship
Verone Rodrigues | Photography Per Arne Kvamso
The word worship as it is observed and understood in the English language is defined as: ”the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.” However, Christians must understand that worship extends far beyond a feeling or an expression. The veracity is that worship requires truth and understanding of who it is that one worships and why.
In the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John, we can read about Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman. “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24 NKJV) Unknowingly she was having a conversation with the creator of the universe. Right before her stood the answer to all of her problems she was facing, but because she lacked understanding she was unable to give him the true worship that He was worthy of. She was looking for the Messiah when the true Messiah stood before her. This is unfortunately the sad state for many believers around the world today. We attend conferences, meetings, and services where worship songs are being sung, and we participate in the worship of our God without really knowing or understanding who He is. But the word of God says that the Father is seeking for true worshippers who will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Worship goes far beyond a feeling or an expression; it is to be done in truth and with understanding. Worship for true believers, is a lifestyle! This Samaritan woman, after it was revealed to her that Jesus was the Messiah was changed. She was so radically convinced and enlightened; now knowing the truth that she, being a Samaritan woman, called others to come and see the Messiah, a Jew. This is the true worship that God requires of us, those of us who would recognize the truth of who God is, and live a lifestyle of worship unto the Father, causing others to come and seek Him for who He is. So let us walk in truth and the understanding of whom Jesus Christ is - the true Messiah - by living a lifestyle of worship that extends far beyond mere expression!
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Emanuel Mfoukou | Photography Courtesy of NHCLC
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DEVOTIONAL | THE UNIMAGINABLE Marysa Bonnema | Photography Jani Salokangas For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8: 29-30 NIV) She declares, my life is for your glory, and I am yours. Jesus hears, and how He cherishes the willing heart. A gentle whisper is spoken, Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these ( John 14:12). Questions spin in her mind and she wonders what will that look like? She pauses to lean in just a little closer to be sure she heard right. She hears it again, and He even adds, I believe in you my child. Her heart leaps. She leaps at the realization that the King of Kings, the very creator of the universe has predestined her to do the impossible, beyond what she could hope or imagine. In obedience she responds, I will go, and I will follow. My hope is in you. Your life is an art piece, waiting to be seen, waiting to be known, and most of all waiting to be enjoyed. His eyes are steady upon you calling out the greatness that lays within. The greatness that you may not know yet. I see you, I know you He whispers. Your life is a gift eagerly busting at the seams. What you have to offer this world is not insignificant. Every hope and aspiration you have held in your heart is known by the Father. How He longs to take you by the hand and watch you flourish in what He has already planted within you. In partnership with Him you will discover how valuable your life is. His desire for your life is not to watch you get by with the leftover crumbs .Rather, His heart’s desire is to see His children come alive in knowing Him. We are welcomed to feast at the table He has prepared, and to live from the overflow of His heart. Your life is unique, and in that you have been invited to reveal a specific part of God’s heart that only you can radiate in its fullness. As doubts rumble in your mind, and questions spin in circles may you feel the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit reminding you of how qualified you truly are. Jesus draws close to you, lifting up your chin so that He may see your eyes. May you keep your gaze steady upon the one who is the potter, and watch in amazement as He shapes your life into the story He has always dreamt of for His glory. With a willing heart, and a devoted gaze, Jesus delights in even the weakness of your reach. He is pleased with the “yes” that you have said, and my dear friend, He rejoices over you always.
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THE COMING FLOOD ANTISEMITISM IN THE UK Paul Parkhouse | Photography wallwides Last September, Arise UK joined 40 or so ICEJ supporters at a rally in Manchester to stand up against anti-Semitism. The event was attended by hundreds of people from the local Jewish community, and it was moving to hear rabbis, Christians, activists and politicians alike, speaking out against anti-Semitism in the UK. The rally was inspiring, but at the same time worrying, as it never would have taken place were it not for the disturbing events of this summer. According to the Community Security Trust, responsible for monitoring anti-Semitic activity in the UK, the month of July saw a 412% rise in anti-Semitic incidents compared to the same period last year. It was the second worst month the charity had recorded since their inception in 1994, and the background context to this spike in incidents; this summer’s Gaza conflict. Anti-Semitism is not a phenomenon isolated to the UK, as it has affected the whole of Europe. In France several protests has led to violence, in some cases even with deadly outcomes, and this year France led the rankings in Jewish migration to Israel for the first time in history. How could this be happening in Western Europe in living memory of the Holocaust? There are a number of societal and political reasons that all should be addressed. The main reason will always be spiritual. Satan is as unrepentantly anti-Semitic today as he ever was, in fact, even more so, as his time is running out. He knows that Jesus will return when the Jewish nation calls on Him as their Messiah, and today more Jews are finding Jesus than at any time since the book of Acts. Regardless of whether the Holocaust is still in living memory, Satan cannot afford for that trend to continue, and is therefore raising up a new generation who do not know or care enough about their history to avoid its past tragic mistakes. At the same time, God is raising up a new generation of Europeans who are alive to His Spirit and who sees His hand on Israel behind the smokescreen of the ongoing conflict. This is a generation who are brave enough to stand up for what God is doing today, as unpopular as it may seem, and as much as it may cost. This is the generation who will ride the coming flood of God’s purposes for Europe. “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19) In 1947, the year before Israel was reborn, the great British healing evangelist Smith Wigglesworth foresaw a day coming to the church in the UK, where Spirit and Word would come together sparking “the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and the Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the UK to the mainland of Europe, and from there will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth.” Choose today which flood you will be a part of.
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Shockwaves in france Racism comes in various shapes and forms. One of the many faces of racism is anti-Semitism, a term first coined by a Jewish scholar by the name of Moritz Steinschneider. He used the term in order to counter the claims of a French philosopher, that people of Semitic origins were inferior to the Aryan race. Some 150 years after the term first saw daylight, anti-Semitism and other forms of racism are still part of the mindset of a large part of the world’s population. In France, home to some 600 000 Jews and the third largest Jewish population in the world, anti-Semitism is part of everyday life. The increasing tensions accompanied by high unemployment and economic difficulties have led to a record number of Jews leaving the country. In 2014, the Aliyah from France is estimated to have reached close to 6000 individuals which is equivalent to one percent of France’s entire Jewish population When it comes to racism in France, the 19th century Dreyfus affair is a world renowned example of anti-Semitism, while a more modern one is the 2006 torture and murder of Ilam Halimi, a French Jew of Moroccan descent. In 2006 Halimi was abducted by a French group surnamed “the Gang of Barbarians,” and for a period of three weeks he was severely tortured until he eventually succumbed to the wounds. In 2012, the so called Toulouse massacre led to the death of seven people, including three Jewish children attending the Ozar Hatorah Jewish Day School. To get a clearer picture of what the reality is on the ground for the Jewish community in France, we sat down with Yoram, a French Jew from Paris, who told us about his experiences and how people, from fear of being attacked are leaving their houses without their kipas and tzitzits. Yoram was born in Paris to Jewish parents from Tunisia and Morocco, and throughout his life he has lived in different neighborhoods all across Paris. When we met him in downtown Jerusalem he revealed that he is a good friend of Halimi’s cousin, and that he with pain remembers his murder back in 2006. According to Yoram, anti-Semitism is not only a problem isolated to Paris, but just as common in other French cities such as Marseille, Lyon and Lille. “Today, there is a terrible fear of antiSemitism in France, and it comes from all angles; from ethnic French and Arabs, as well as from Christians, Muslims and non-believers. It is really bad, and when going to the Synagogue on Friday night, we move in groups for fear of being attacked.”
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Yoram explains that the Jewish community in France has reached a state where they are leaving in masses, and that he has several friends who have left France because they are concerned about the safety of their children. Many fears that the story of Halimi and what happened in Toulouse could repeat itself at any moment, and as a result they are leaving behind their professions and successful businesses. Yoram is able to give hundreds of different stories connected to anti-Semitism, and recounts how someone spat in the face of the wife of one of his friends while she was on the tube. “What happened to her is the definition of humiliation, and every day I receive emails or texts messages about attacks in Synagogues, buses, restaurants or supermarkets.” “A couple of months ago I was stopped by the police as I was speeding. Around my neck I was wearing a necklace with the Star of David, and as I was interrogated I could feel how one of the officers fixed his eyes on it. When the officer wanted to fine me for not having my driving license with me, I protested. All of a sudden they started to push me and handle me with violence, and eventually forced me in to one of their cars. The officer who earlier had seen my Star of David, reach for it and with force took it off my neck, where after I was told to return to my country as over there I would not receive any fines.” Despite a steep increase in racist attacks all across Europe and France in particular and with laws such as the Polish ban on circumcisions, Yoram believes that a peaceful society without hate crimes is still possible. Meantime, he is still making arrangements to join the wave of French Jews seeking shelter from anti-Semitism. “I am planning to make Aliyah with my wife and children as I am afraid that something will happen to them, so in the coming months I will bring my whole family and leave France for Israel.” •
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“To stand with Israel doesn’t mean to support every political decision it takes.”
WHICH
SIDE? Joel Bigler |
During the last conflict between Israel and radical Islamists on the Gaza Strip, Christians were forced to pick a side. Daily updates in the media and political discussions influenced our perception of the conflict. What side should we as young Christians, often younger than the conflict itself choose? Caught between pro-Israel rallies and pro-Palestinian media reports, my Christian beliefs and the agenda of the European church, I decided to take a look at the bible. In Genesis 15:18, we find that God promises the land to Abraham; “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates“. But does this make the whole picking of a side easier? Does this already give answer to the question which side we should support as Christians and human beings with moral and ethical standards? 22 AriseNow
To find an answer we should first take a look at both parties involved. On the one side we find the Palestinian community penned up in the Gaza Strip, 1.82 million people living on an area of 360km². They live in poor conditions and are dependent on charity and relief supplies. The rulers in charge of the Gaza strip often let the money flow into their own pockets or buy supplies for urban warfare from other Arabic countries. As the Gaza strip is one of the most heavily populated areas in the world without any military defense system, it is clear that casualties in the case of military strikes are higher than in other places. According to media reports, more than one thousand Palestinian in Gaza died as a result of the conflict. A lot of them were kids and elderly women. This fact, of course, makes the citizens of Gaza angry, and leads them into the radical hands of Hamas. The whole circle of war against the oppressor starts itself all over again. Hamas is the pretended safe haven for young Palestinians who want to erase Israel from the face of the earth. On the other hand we find the state of Israel, 8.2 million people living on an area of 22’380 km² of which 6’831 km² belongs to the West Bank. Israel is a highly developed country which spends approximately 6.7% of its gross domestic product on military expenses. With its revolutionary anti-missile system, the Iron Dome, Israel is able to protect a lot of its civilians from serious harm. How should we choose a side when both parts are suffering from the hands of one another? The church often tells us to stand with Israel, and even though this is right, a lot of Christians still get this wrong. To stand with Israel doesn’t mean to support every political decision it takes. There is a lot going on in a wrong direction with the Israeli government. As always, when people work together, a lot of mistakes are made. How are we supposed to choose a side, from a biblical point of view? There is a simple answer to this question. You can find it in the fifth chapter of the book of Matthew where scripture says: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.“ As children of God and followers of Yeshua the Christ, we are supposed to stand on the side of peace. Although we stand behind Israel and its right to self-defense and existence, we should not forget the potential inherited by the Arabs and that God loves them just as much as any other people group. Let us gather as a Christian body on the side of peace and love, and pray for open eyes whether it be in the Arab community on the Gaza strip or among the Israelis in Israel. •
RE DISCOVERING T H E L O S T PAT H
A JOURNEY ALONG THE ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO
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In 2010, after having completed a two semester study in Practical Theology in London, UK, I came to experience Jesus in new ways. My inner man developed a desire to go back to the roots; a desire to learn more about the political, economic, social and cultural context that my Master grew up in. I wanted to rediscover lost values and in that way gain a more intimate relationship with my Creator. Eventually I found myself in the land where the Messiah was born. In Luke chapter 2:41-52, we are told how Jesus’ parents were forced to return to Jerusalem in order to find Jesus after they had accidentally left him behind. Just like Joseph and Mary, I longed to journey to the City of the Great King to find the true nature of my Saviour. I knew that it was only by finding Him that I was going to be able to continue my journey, and it wasn’t after Joseph and Mary took the road back from Jericho to Jerusalem to find Jesus that they could return to Nazareth. In 1954, the above mentioned analogy was used by Martin Luther King Jr, in a sermon called “Rediscovering Lost Values.” Some eight years later he delivered another ground breaking sermon, “On Being a Good Neighbour; And Who is My Neighbour? These two sermons are among the finest ever preached, and enclose King’s experiences of the dark forces of prejudice and racism with a deep biblical understanding. Both sermons are based on the book of Luke, and indicate the clear significance Jesus placed on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, where the treasures to be found and lessons to be learnt are far more valuable than all the riches in the world. “On Being a Good Neighbor,” deals with the story of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37, and is a frequent message preached from pulpits around the world. Jesus often used the Samaritans in his teachings, and tried to show that the ones that society shuns the most can just as well be the ones with the highest moral standards. The Samaritans were a people group despised by the Jews of Judea, and it seems that the tension between the two groups was at its highest during the time of Jesus. At one point a group of Samaritans defiled the Holy temple by placing dead bodies in it, and were as a result banned from participating in the Jewish feasts. They were further seen as holding an even lower status than the Philistines and the people of Seir, and one text from the era even warned the Jews from eating their bread. ”For he that eateth their bread is as if he was eating swine flesh.” The fact that even Herod Antipas and his brother Archelaus through their mother Malthace, were of Samaritan stock, is in itself, which we will see below, of major interest.
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The moral lessons taught along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, contain the keys to a world of peace and justice, and maybe it was along this road that Amos, the prophet of social justice, one day saw “justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
With a world in turmoil and upheaval, filled with racism, ignorance and prejudice in a host of different areas, even in the church, these master pieces delivered by King should be reviewed and applied to our daily lives. The two sermons touch the very core of what is wrong with our society today, and gives the listener an idea of how to make the world a better place. They lets us know that in our times, when the world is on the brink of chaos and where racism and prejudice is ever more prevalent, we need to return to Jerusalem in order to rediscover our lost values, and adopt the mind set of empathy and compassion found in the Good Samaritan. The moral lessons taught along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, contain the keys to a world of peace and justice, and maybe it was along this road that Amos, the prophet of social justice, one day saw “justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an www.arisegeneration.org
ever-flowing stream.� With the importance Jesus placed on this road, we therefore decided to walk the 24km between Jerusalem and Jericho. We walked to remember the qualities of empathy and compassion, and we walked with a desire to return to our lost values. At the same time we walked to remind the principalities and powers that Jesus is in charge and that the increasing evils in the world will not prevail. For every single step covering our descent from Jerusalem towards Jericho, our feet were praying for humanity to realize that prejudice and worship cannot cohabit in the same heart. Our feet were calling out to God for a world where every human being will be filled with a desire to truly rediscover Jesus, and for a world without evil where everyone sees his fellow brother as being created in God’s image.
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On an early December morning, we set out from Jerusalem, or to be more exact, from the traditional site of Bethany, where Jesus stayed when he visited Jerusalem and where Lazarus was resurrected. Bethany, which means “house of poverty,” is located on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, and is today incorporated in an Arab city called al-Azariya, meaning “the place of Lazarus.” As we prepared the descent towards Jericho, located 258 meters under sea level, we looked out over the Judean wilderness and witnessed a breath taking sunrise from where we stood outside the traditional tomb of Lazarus some 800 meters above sea level. In the days of Jesus, the Jerusalem to Jericho road that we were preparing to cover was referred to as the way of the blood, as the many mountains, caves and narrow roads provided a perfect setting for robbers to ambush people travelling the stretch. Even today, some 2000 years later, we were still reminded that the road could be a dangerous one to travel, but just like Jesus and his disciples we prayed for a safe journey and travel mercies before departing. The descent from Bethany through al-Azariya, passing the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, was a fairly easy one, and before we knew it we found ourselves surrounded by a desert landscape, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way we were met by sheep and donkeys and greeted by the friendly faces of numerous Bedouins living in the different communities situated along the road. Passing one of the houses we couldn’t help but notice the humble conditions it was built upon, in spite of this it was equipped with modernity’s such as solar panels and a parabolic antenna. Some 18 km from Jerusalem we stopped at the traditional site of the Inn of the Good Samaritan. It was here that according to the bible, the Good Samaritan with his ability to think about the feelings of “the other,” brought the man that had been robbed and left dying along the road. At this location there have been found artefacts from the Second Temple Period,
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and during the Byzantine era a church was built on the site, and in 2009, a museum was erected to commemorate the place. Watching the ruins and the ancient mosaics made us think about how different the mind set of Jesus must have been. Jesus was well aware of the animosity reigning between the Jews of his time and the Samaritans, and He must have been aware of the fact that Herod Antipas, the man who beheaded John the Baptist, was partly Samaritan. Despite this knowledge, He made use of the parable of the Good Samaritan as a prototype for an individual expressing empathy and compassion. The Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in Shechem, is another example of Jesus way of including the despised. Jesus did not generalize in the same manner as the people of the 21st century do, and if He had lived today He would not have looked upon certain people groups as being criminal gang members, terrorists or a bunch of illegal immigrants. Instead he would have viewed all people as being created in the image of God, in the same manner as the Good Samaritan did.
we had a little more than an hour to Jericho, and walking on the narrow rocky roads we paid attention not to fall from the path. As we looked down the 40 something meters towards the bottom of the dry river beds, we were reminded of Reinhold Niebuhr’s quote teaching us about the cancer of racism. “Race prejudice, is a universal human ailment, the most recalcitrant of the evil in man and a treacherous denial of the existence of God.” Meanwhile, the words from the famous American Rabbi, Abraham Heschel echoed in between the mountainous landscape reminding us that “to think of man in terms of white, black or yellow is more than an error. It is an eye disease, a cancer of the soul...racism is worse than idolatry…equal to Satanism and unmitigated evil.” As we approached the city of Jericho, Joshua’s encounter with the angel came to mind. This amazing story which also played out somewhere along the roads leading to Jericho, reminded us of yet another lesson. As Joshua asked the angel whose side he was on, the response was, “Neither. But as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” The road from Jerusalem to Jericho therefore teaches us that as followers of Jesus we are not to take sides. It teaches us that it is neither about the agenda of the elephants nor the agenda of the donkeys, but all about the agenda of the Lamb. It is not about the agenda of the conservatives, liberals or socialists, but all about the agenda of the Word of God. In the same manner, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho teaches us that it’s not about being Pro this or Pro that, but all about being Pro Jesus.
Under the Sycamore tree we thanked God for having protected us on our journey to Jericho, and were reminded that the true Jerusalem to Jericho road is one daily travelled in the lives of all believers worldwide.
As we walked down the steep hills of the Judean wilderness, we thought about the moral landscape of Israel and Palestine and the world, and all injustices and inequalities haunting it. We thought about how some Western nations in the past abused the word of God to justify their evil systems of slavery, segregation and apartheid. We thought about how the church in many ways hasn’t dealt with these sins, and how as a result, prejudice still lingers in certain parts of the body of Christ.
As we observed the roadside on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho this December morning, we discovered that it was littered with victims, victims of what Dr. King referred to as the triplets of evil; racism, materialism and militarism. As we turned around we saw molested widows and hungry orphans facing a monstrosity of inequality. We saw refugees from South Sudan and other parts of Africa, the Middle East and Latin America fleeing from misguided men seeking their lives. Along the roadside to Jericho we saw a maelstrom of devastation, people who have been beheaded due to the colour of their skin or religion. We saw a multitude of people who had ended up where they were because they had only listened to, not heard and fully taken to heart, the lessons taught along the famous road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Having left the Inn of the Good Samaritan we reached Wadi Qelt, where parts of the original roman road between Jerusalem and Jericho still can be seen. According to theologians several biblical narratives took place in this area, and today it is known for being the home of the Monastery of St George of Koziba. From here www.arisegeneration.org
Drawing near to Jericho, the city of the Palms, where the ruins of one of King Herod’s winter palaces still can be seen, and where Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus, we prayed that the 21th century church will get a restored vision and power to see and defeat the social injustices haunting the world. Shortly thereafter we finally reached our destination and could sit down and rest our feet under a large sycamore tree, similar to the one that Zacchaeus climbed up to in order to see Jesus. We prayed that the church of the 21th century also will be able to climb towards its destiny, and in the words of Dr. King, cease to be as “thermometers recording and registering the temperature of a majority opinion, and instead become thermostats transforming and regulating the temperature of the world.” Under the Sycamore tree we thanked God for having protected us on our journey to Jericho, and were reminded that the true Jerusalem to Jericho road is one daily travelled in the lives of all believers worldwide. Whether to assume the role of the Priest, the Levite or the Good Samaritan is completely up to you and me. •
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The yearly Feast of Tabernacles conference, organized by the ICEJ, is a major event in the calendar. The event, which first was held in 1980, has throughout the years developed into what it is today, and this year’s feast marked a milestone in the history of the organization as the event moved to a new location. The Feast of 2014 took place in the newly inaugurated Jerusalem Pais Arena, from now on, the new home of the Feast of Tabernacles. The arena seats some 11,600 people, and with the 2014 event hosting more than 5,000 delegates from over 70 nations, it was a necessary and welcomed move. Throughout the conference, the Arise information booth was in full swing, and we were able to meet with young delegates along with local Israelis to share the vision of Arise. We gave out information about our numerous media platforms, our international speaking tours, along with our different projects, not to mention the hugely successful Arise summer tour. This year’s Feast was attended by notable speakers such as Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, NHCLC, the largest Hispanic evangelical movement in the world, Reverend Canon Andrew White, known as the vicar of Baghdad, and Bishop John Francis, leader of Ruach City Churches, London, UK. One could not deny the buzz of excitement present in the arena, and this was evident in the voices of the participants as they gladly shared their thoughts and experiences. Wen Miao, a first time visitor from China explained that she was moved by witnessing the passion people expressed for Jesus Christ and the Feast as a whole, and encouraged her fellow Christian brothers and sisters in China to come visit the Holy Land. Samantha Anderson, a first time visitor who had come to Israel together with her pastor, Bishop Francis and members of the multi award winning Ruach Ministries Choir, used attributes such as joy and awe in order to describe the feeling of being in the Holy land. When informed about Arise and its international outreach to young people regarding Israel, she promised to inform her friends back home about the situation. “I would let them know that what is being shown in the media isn’t actually what is going on, and I would just encourage them that it is a really blessed and nice country.” During the Feast, Arise had the opportunity to host a special event called “It’s Time to Arise,” geared towards young Israel Christians, and with Angus Buchan as guest speaker. In total, close to 200 young people from various congregations around the country showed up, beaming with smiles and laughter. Angus captured the attention of the young minds and gave a powerful message about killing the lion of fear with Word of God. The word was confirmed when the King and Queen of Kenya’s Massai tribe, a people known for being brave lion killers, suddenly entered the auditorium to join the meeting.
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FRESH GENE RATION Sarah Ayilee | Photography Per Arne Kvamso
Afterwards, Arise went around the auditorium to take the temperature. The general opinion was one of encouragement, with Natanel Buehler, 14, explaining that he was really touched. “There are those preachers who either have a good or a bad day, but I think that Angus Buchan always has a good day. In every sermon he touches my heart; his sermons are truly a blessing.” Natanel’s feelings were echoed by 16 year old Daniel. “Yeah, sure we feel him, and I think we can agree that we learn something new from him every time. He is just like us; he knows our problems and can talk to us about them”. Tamara Patrizi, 26, from Italy who in 2013 volunteered at the Feast and as a result met her husband, summed up the need for more young people to visit Israel. “It is wonderful to be able to walk where Jesus walked, and for next year I hope to see my Italian nation praise, worship and celebrate the Lord at the Feast of Tabernacles. Israel is an unforgettable life experience, its supernatural! God Bless you!
“There are those preachers who either have a good or a bad day, but I think that Angus Buchan always has a good day.” www.arisegeneration.org
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SHALOM PEACE PAIX WITH MUSIC PAZ PEACE RAUHA FRED SALAAM Emanuel Mfoukou |
In our days, with the news media being congested with war and rumors of war, peace should be one of the most sought after products on the market. All political camps and schools on each side of the spectrum, be they realists or liberalists, are applying their different ideologies in order to bring about a peaceful society. Many are the thoughts that have surfaced during the centuries, with medieval political realists such as Machiavelli, to name but one, claiming that the best chance for peace is to prepare for war. Today, contemporary scholars say that the 20th century was the most murderous century in the history of mankind, with more than 100 million deaths as a result of war and turmoil across the globe.
Whether the 21th century will overtake the 20th century remains to be seen. It is up to us to reduce the ever increasing calamities currently haunting the world. We have to leave our myopic mindsets behind and meet in the nexus of the cross where faith and action are united. Robert Coles in one of his books wrote that There are many reasons why various groups harbor animosity
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PAIX PAZ PEACE RAUHA FRED SALAAM PAIX towards one another. One of these is the fear of reaching out and getting to know other religious or ethnical groups. Research shows that 86 percent of all Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus in the world do not personally know a Christian. And in one of his books the now late civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, states that the most segregated time in the US is Sunday mornings. His book was written over 50 years ago, but despite this; Sundays still remain the most segregated day of the week. Many are the examples of conflicts rooted in the fact that people from different backgrounds are not stepping out of their comfort zones and spending time with “the other.” One of the individuals, who has understood that the path to a more peaceful world goes through the breaking down of walls and barriers, is Hanna Yaffe, a Jewish music producer with a rather original but powerful product, aimed to advance peoples empathy. Hanna was born in London with a father who was an observant orthodox Rabbi, and it wasn’t until she was 22 that she decided to make Aliyah and move to Israel. When we met her in one of the many popular cafes along the famous High Street of Emek Refaim in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ha’Moshava Ha’Germanit , she revealed her passion for peace through her latest project. “I have always been interested in making peace. My father was on the local council of Christians and Jews in England, which was all about reconciliation. I have also worked with the Tony Blair foundation, through videoconferences where children learn stories from other people.” She explains that working with storytelling between people from different faiths, is an excellent way to break down barriers. “I would tell Jewish stories, mostly from Eastern Europe which are very universal in their scope, and often times these stories have a very common theme with the stories of Christian and Muslim faiths. When people realize that they are not so different after all, they automatically draw nearer to one another.”
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PAIX PAZ PEACE RAUHA FRED SALAAM PAIX Her latest project, War Time Lullabies, is a CD loaded with lullabies from 16 different countries, sung by mothers for their children in times of war. The compilation is a moving and heart rending one, forcing the listener to wear the cloak of empathy while journeying down the path of the dual narrative. Track 13 and 11 were both written in 1948 and sung by an Israeli Jewish and Arab mother respectively, portraying the pain felt by each side of the divide in Israel’s war of Independence vs. the Palestinian Nakba. Hanna explains that every song is written within the framework of an historical context, and that the listener can find a translation of each lullaby in the booklet accompanying the CD. “If one really wants to grasp the deeper meaning, it requires a bit of a focus. There is a song from the Armenian genocide, the Vietnam war as well as the First and Second World Wars, including the Holocaust, and of course Israel and Palestine.” “In the beginning I thought of my work as a way to promote tolerance between different people. But now I have come to realize that the attribute of tolerance is a little bit passive, while empathy is so much more positive and proactive.”
“The lullabies have opened up my heart to universal suffering, and that is a good thing. We should have compassion for all people. The Bible says that “the LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made,” and as human beings we have a divine obligation to feel empathy when other human beings are in pain. It’s a valuable idea to think about and meditate on other peoples suffering,” she concluded. •
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CRIBS
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD During a recent visit to Bethlehem, AriseNow had the privilege to witness the preparatory work for this year’s Christmas season, along with visiting some of the traditional sites making up the Christmas story. Starting at the Shepherd’s field, the place where an angel appeared to the shepherds announcing the birth of the Messiah, we looked out over the rocky fields and barren hills of the landscape. We reminisced over the reason for the season, and traced the shepherd’s foot steps towards the area surrounding the nativity church in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. After having visited the traditional birth site of Jesus, we walked towards the manger square, where we visited “the Bethlehem Peace Centre,” to attend the prestigious “Cribs from all over the world,” exhibition. Through this exhibition we were launched on a journey across the world, able to witness a multitude of various nativity scenes from different nations and cultures across the globe. In a discussion with Rania Malki, assistant director of the Bethlehem Peace Centre, we learned that the exhibition was the brain child of the Anglican Church and was given to the center as a gift when it opened up in 2000. The exhibition shows the importance and weight that Jesus carries throughout the world, and Rania explains that the exhibition displays close to 100 different cribs from all continents. Each nativity scene is depicted from the perspective of various nations, ethnicities and cultures. While they all have different shapes and colors, and are made up of different materials, they all celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. “We would love everybody to come and visit Bethlehem, and next time you are here why not pass by the peace center. We are located next to the Nativity Church where Jesus Christ was born. In the meantime, and from the heart of the city of peace, we are sending a message of peace to the whole world and wish everyone a peaceful Christmas,” Rania concluded. If you would like to visit the exhibition, “Cribs from all over the world,” is on show every day from 09:00 to 15:00 except Sunday’s, and admission is free. • www.arisegeneration.org
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