On the New Living Translation of
The Bible there are twenty references from The Lord commanding to His people, saying,
“This is a permanent law for the people of Israel and must be observed from
generation to generation.”[1]
The same verse on the New King James version reads: “It shall be a statute forever
to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel”.
Meditating on a Scripture that I
haven’t ever placed too much attention to, it saddens my spirit my own insensitivity
to the matter. I wonder how many out
there had fallen on the same mistake I had just been faced with?
In America we can easily spot
some Middle Easterners especially when their attire reveals it. Sometimes that becomes a stereotype that
could be mistaken by their choice of religion instead of their original
birthplace. One of the questions that probably
most commonly comes to mind when we see a women with their cultural headgear
is, how come they want to live like they still there (in the Ancient World where
they came from) but in today’s society, a society so different than
theirs? It made me think like being “un-equally
joked”; or someone who’s “living in two waters”, which is said of Christians
that go to church but still act and speak like they used to when they were not
in church. I have to make a clear point; this is not about Muslim religion
followers, but about Jews that have come here to America for whatever reason,
wanting to keep intact their original national traditions.
Then my question is, how we dare
criticize these people for wanting to keep the tradition, GOD commanded them to
keep forever?! I understand that our
culture is way different, and that we do not have to comply with every
request of every foreigner that moves to USA, even more if those requests are
against our constitution but at times we could be really quick to judge and
criticize!!! I, myself had to repent.
I want you to realize that many
of them probably are battling with the real issue of wanting to live in this Westerner
“updated” society to “better” themselves, but at the same time they feel convicted
that they have to remain faithful to their forefathers laws and traditions. Since
the choice of wanting to live in America like they would be living in Israel or
in any other world country where they may be coming from is not ours but the
individual who moves in, when they realize the challenges which in most cases
are really hard to bear, the choice of moving back is an option, but it’s theirs
to take, not ours! We HAVE to pray for them, that’s our responsibility! And
yes, act upon what The Lord is telling us to, not on the pressures of our
cultural differences.
There are cases where this
“foreigners” choose to adopt things of the culture/world where they’re coming
from and mix it with the culture of the place where they are living at the
moment, and make their own “culture”; and this could be a shocking idea
especially for their family’s elders. This
“new mixed culture” is a very popular thing today; and that’s why in American
schools we have so many “multicultural” children.
As GOD’s people that we are, whether
Jew by birth or Gentile by adoption, if you’ve chosen to live for God, you
ought to abide by God’s command; see they’re not suggestions, but commands!
And yes, we do not follow God’s
commands the same way Jews do for we are Americans, and that’s understandable
but let’s not criticize those that want to serve God by what The Bible
says they ought to but in turn pray
for them to realize what God’s will for their lives really is. As we pray if
God’s will for their lives is to back to Israel or somewhere else, they will
go, for God hears us when we pray. Now, if God’s will is for them to stay here
and for us to learn to live with them here in peace, guess what? That’s exactly
what will happen. Therefore whether is for them to go or to stay we HAVE to pray for them and for us too to be more
careful when treating them, we do not want to be found guilty by God, because
the Word of God is clear when it says “But if you cause one of these little
ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a
large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.”[2]
So I pray with the words our
brother Paul closes his letter to the Corinthians, I tell you, “Be joyful. Grow
to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of
love and peace will be with you”[3],
and I pray in JESUS name, and for HIS glory, AMEN!!!
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