Today’s Scripture Reading (July 1,
2014): Ezra 5
Sometimes I
think it is easy to believe that Adolf Hitler somehow invented the war against
the Jews. That he needed someone to blame for the economic problems of his
nation, and the Jews simply made easy targets. But the truth is that even in
Germany, anti-Semitism has a history that predates Hitler’s obsession with and
campaign against the Jews. In 1873, a German journalist named Wilhelm Marr
published a pamphlet entitled “The Victory of the Jewish Spirit over the
Germanic Spirit.” Six years later Marr published a second pamphlet, this one
entitled “The Way of Victory of Germanicism over Judaism.” Marr had come to
believe that the two cultures could not exist together. In fact, Marr strongly
believed that one culture could only be a success if the other died. It is a
belief that five decades later Hitler would attempt to make into a plan of
action that could be carried out against the Jews so that Germany could survive.
And Hitler almost successfully completed the plan.
But
anti-Semitic roots in culture are much deeper than that. The reality is that
the hate against the Semitic races can be traced almost back to the beginning
of the race. And it was definitely present as the exiles started their move
back into Palestine. So those that opposed the Jews wrote a letter to the king.
And the intent of the letter seems to be clear. A search was to be conducted of
the records to find if permission was ever given for the Jews to rebuild the
temple. Those who opposed Israel knew that the rebuilding of the temple could
be a problem because the temple was the center of Jewish Nationalism. As long
as the temple lay in ruins, the Jews would remain defeated. But to rebuild the
temple was to begin to give Israel back her strength. To give Israel back her
Temple would be insane.
So the
message is clear. The writers of the letter stand at the ready to serve the
king and stop the rebuilding. Jerusalem must be denied her temple – and her
national identity. The people of Israel had become the stranger even within
their own borders. And the people of the area believed that they could only be
safe if the stranger is removed – in the end, Israel must die.
A National
identity that does not respect the foreigner within its borders is always
wrong. This diversity within a nation should be viewed as a strength and not a
weakness. We are very different from each other, but if we are willing to work
together these differences can help us solve the problems of our planet. Any
other view can only be labeled as short sighted – and in the end it will not
only be the destructive to the other, but it will also mean the destruction of
ourselves as well. Today, as my country celebrates its 147th
birthday, it is something of which we need to be reminded. We need to
understand that our strength is tied to our diversity. Happy Canada Day.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezra 6
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