How do you solve a problem like Judea?
Israel Unplugged (AUGUST 2008)
SAFFRON PLANET CHAT (63 minutes)
A documentary on Israel and the Jewish people. Our team, supplemented by Norman and Maria, discuss the current situation and the history of the conflict and ask, who is the conflict actually between?. A revealing and entertaining exploration covering 2000 years, from Jerusalem to Southend and beyond!
Listen now | Download | Read more
The Israel debate. Older than history itself, it would seem. Great minds and vocal advocates have long been at loggerheads over the sovereignty of this tiny strip of land which, when located on any contemporary map of the world, sits snuggly at the crossroads of the great continents. Quite literally it resides at the centre of all things. An outpost of the great empires of history, the birth place of the great religions, and home to the most contensiously disputed city in the world: Jerusalem.
In this discussion we argue how bias and spin can seep covertly into any debate of this nature, and how important it is to discern what is truth and what isn't.
We talk seriously about how Israel is perceived by the world's media and what can be done to encourage people to study the issue for themselves and arrive at their own conclusions.
We try to understand why Israel does not always get the benefit of the doubt when some stories are reported in the press, and discuss why some of us already have pre-conceived ideas about the problems faced on a daily basis by ordinary Israelis and Palestinians alike.
History plays a huge part in the debate. It's not always black and white. How do we begin to put together the pieces when much of history has been distorted by over zealous reporting? We tackle this issue in our group discussion with a panel of friends, plus we head to the Salute to Israel rally in London to talk to people with opposing views on the situation.
Steve has written a book on the subject, The Land Of Many Names, which deals with the Biblical aspect of the debate and seeks to make sense of the long and winding history of the region.
The Chris Hill daily devotional, a five minute audio fresh every day to inspire you.
How do you solve a problem like Judea?
I wonder if we are not fretting over nothing, or at least what is not our business. Since the rules changed about who is a Jew and The Lord took away His seat from the earth, and since Paul said, Hebrews 13:14, "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one that is coming." I don't think Paul would want to fight for a city. It's clear he understood believers would be spread out over the world and Jerusalem would fall. He points out we should be watching for the New Jerusalem, not the old one. What is more, when the Lord comes He will collect His people from the nations of the world where they will be living, not from just one place.
Ron Cash
roncash326@gmail.com