Proselytizers

Hubby's working for messianic Jews these days, and he told me one evening over dinner,

"every day the client quotes some proverb or something from the New Testament. It's usually something about Jesus/Yeshua. I think they're trying to prostrate me."

And I fell over laughing because this guy's vocabulary is pretty much like Kelly Bundy's of Married With Children. Like the time we walked past the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but he insisted it was the Church of the Holy Sculpture.

But speaking of proselytizers....it's sad when you see, or think that your mission is failing. I'm sure Messianic Jews feel a sense of failure at not being able to save unsaved Jews. And I, for one, feel a sense of failure at not being able to fulfill my peace mission between Arabs and Jews. Like I once or twice said - I'm a missionary for peace.

I was supposed to have my interfaith meeting this past Thursday. In fact, 5 new people from Maaleh Adumim showed up. I was terribly excited. I had Eliyahu McLean guest speak on our sensitive subject of "What does the Koran and Torah teach about War?" and to balance things out a bit, I also picked up a bunch of Tu-B'shvat (New Year for Trees) treats since next week is the day and the almond trees will start blooming beautifully all over the country. Even better, the people who did show up were not the already converted, but people who didn't believe that Arabs want peace, but that they can't be trusted, and all that stuff. Just the kind of audience I wanted for this meeting.

But my Moslem co-coordinator was nowhere to be found. And both his phones were off. I had called him earlier in the week to make sure Palestinian permits were in order and he said it was. I called another Moslem participant who told me he "couldn't come" and that our Moslem coordinator was probably being harassed by Palestinian police and pressured not to come. "They know about your meetings", he said sadly. With both phones being off, I was terrified that he was locked up in a Palestinian prison somewhere, all because he is teaching the Islamic perspective on things to a bunch of Jews living over the green line. Insane. I told the other guy maybe our coordinator could bring over the police to show them how harmless these meetings are, and how in actuality they are to their benefit. But the most M. could do was email me the Moslem perspective.

Being that I have a shitty computer, which doesn't read any of my Word documents, I couldn't open up his presentation. Instead, I sent it to work where I'll forward it to our members.

But the thought of moderate Palestinians being harassed by their own extremists made me awfully sad. I didn't want to get into the "you see?" mode that my guests were trying to convince me is really the case.

The next day I walk into the local health food store and met an acquaintance who is dabbling in local politics. She right away brought up my co-existance religious dialogue group.

"You know 80% of violent crimes are committed by people you know."

"Like spousal abuse" I answered.

She left it at that, but was inferring that "they" were likely to commit violent crimes on me or at me or towards me - however you say it, even though I trust them.

And I thought, after she left of course, because my clever thoughts never arrive on time, should I not have gotten married because these 80% statistics are scary, and that men can be violent to their wives? So should I not take a chance and trust to bring Moslems into my home because there is a chance that they'll turn on me? Like Husbands may do on their Wives - and Employees on their Employers, etc. But some of the most fulfilling moments in life are when you do fight that inner fear and take that chance.