Worth pondering

In light of the recent flare up of that recurring pestilence known as Israeli-Palestinian violence, I thought this post well worth pondering. It certainly gave me some things to chew on.

Religious Judaism, as I see it, is centered in the worship of God. Its defining text was delivered at Sinai.

Cultural Judaism, by way of contrast, is based on the worship of a people. It has much less to do with Sinai than with Seinfeld.

Zionism, which draws from both of the above, it the worship of a political State.

That's one of the most clearly articulated comparisons I've read in a while. Too many people make the mistake of equating the modern-day State of Israel with the nation founded by a group of ex-slaves brought out of Egypt by Yahweh. There is at least one similarity: the utter inability of either to live in harmony with God's design. But that's not just a Jewish problem--it's a human problem and has been since a certain half-eaten fruit hit the ground in Eden.

What's dangerous is many of Israel's supporters head off legitimate criticism of that State by labeling it all anti-Semitism, just as many supporters of the American Leviathan squelch similar self-examination ("what are you, a traitor? Don't you know there's a war on?"). As ever, war is the health of the State, and Mr. Grigg lays out a cogent argument why this is at the root of the tragic 'cycle of violence' in the so-called Holy Land. If "war is a racket," as one famous Marine argued, it should be no surprise to see mutual interests emerge between allegedly opposed leaders, while the rank and file of their people suffer the consequences of failure to reconcile.

But the point is this: when we worship a "people," however that is defined, we get conflict. When we worship a State, however virtuous it may be or may have been at one point in its history, we get conflict. But when we worship God, such artificial divisions give way. Only at that point is true reconciliation between seemingly eternal enemies possible. There's a popular saying: "pray for the peace of Israel." Yes, do -- while praying for peace for all, from the only one who can supply it: the Prince of Peace.