WE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE THE ONE!

Much of the time our perceptions are distorted by our misconceptions. When we are conditioned to think in a certain way by what we see and hear repeatedly, the results may turn out to be less than what we had pictured, or in many cases, just the opposite of what we anticipated. To complicate the situation further, what appears to be a disappointing failure evidenced in an apparent loss, just might be a win. Recognition of reality as it actually is makes the difference. Let me give you two examples, one a misconception on the part of those who had enough correct information to rightly interpret what was going on but didn’t, and another who had no inside information at all but nevertheless got it right.

After Jesus had been crucified and buried and the hopes of all those who closely followed him had crumbled, he miraculously appeared to them in a resurrected body. Two of them wound up walking with him from Jerusalem to Emmaeus without realizing who he was. In fact, when Jesus asked them why they were so sad they countered by asking him how it could be, in the light of the news of the day, that he didn’t already know the answer to his own inquiry. Ironically, they were asking the question of the only one who actually knew what was really happening. The key phrase that is the focus of this article is expressed in the words of Cleopas, one of the Emmaeus road disciples, who essentially voiced the attitude of all of the disciples. “We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.” To put it another way, “We thought he would be the one.”

For whatever else might be said about the misconception, the heart of the problem was the mistaken perception that had been drilled into them. It was this: A man, a remarkable man anointed of God, promised by the holy prophets, is coming, and by overwhelming authority he will drive the oppressors out of our nation, and the wrong will be made right. Because of Jesus’ miraculous deeds and the words he spoke that amazed and drew the crowds, the disciples especially had become convinced that Jesus was that man. When their best case scenario became distorted into the worst case scenario, they concluded that even though the tomb had been reported empty, the only logical question left for them was “where is the corpse?” Confused by the calamity that engulfed them, they didn’t recognize the victorious Christ who was right there, walking them through their bewildering dilemma.

Right now, millions of Americans are stirred by hopeful expectations that the man who will be inaugurated as president of the United States of America on January 20th is the one who will redeem the nation and become the catalyst that breaks us free from the threat of terrorism, the devastating effect of economic recession, the woeful lack of coverage of health care, the seeming inability of executive, legislative, and judicial government to resolve mounting problems, as well as other corrections on a list too long to record here. Those hopes and dreams of what a man, or men and women can accomplish are not all that hard to understand because of what has constantly been propagandized into us. “Yes we can”, the theme of the new administration, is not so much a bad thing to believe nor is the confidence that the right man can lead us out of wilderness. The mistake, the misconception, the wrong perception is similar to the one embraced so intensely by the disciples in ancient Israel. When Cleopas said, “We thought he was the one”, he was right but also wrong. He was right about Jesus being the Messiah who would bring deliverance, but he was wrong in his assumption that the deliverance most needed could come about through political and social redemption. He was right to put his hopes in the man, Jesus of Nazareth, but wrong in his failure to recognize that the Galilean was also God. He was right to believe that the script had been changed but he was wrong to believe that the curtain had gone down on a drama that, to him, had turned out to be a tragedy loaded with comedic satire as expressed by one of the thieves crucified with Jesus. “If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.”

The second and contrasting example is the other thief on the cross who believed in the resurrection even though Christ had technically not even died yet. “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Simply stated, he diagnosed that he was his own greatest problem, recognized the need for justice to be rendered, but pleaded for mercy where he believed, against all odds, it was miraculously available.

It is vitally important for us to reaffirm in our awareness of the temper of the times present and future that he who is genuinely able to “redeem Israel” or any nation is the Christ of the Emmaeus road who “…beginning at Moses and all the prophets, expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27). As responsible citizens and committed followers of the Master, let us be faithful to pray for “the powers that be that are ordained of God” but let us also be alert to the fact that Jesus the risen Lord alone, can revive our hearts and thus, awaken us as a nation to trust in God, as our coins claim, and anticipate total victory over every problematic situation that will be achieved by the risen, soon coming King of Kings.

~ Dan Light

GAZA: HERE ARE THE FACTS!

As some of you know I have traveled to the Middle East countries several times over the last 39 years, 32 to be exact, and have been deeply concerned about the Arab-Israel conflict. I have tried to keep close touch with the ongoing situation with all of its implications. Even though I would probably be described as Pro-Israel, I also have friends who are Muslim and Palestinian and I pray for them all. I despise the realities of hatred that have kept the conflict going before and during my association with the Middle East.

However, in light of the fact that Israel is being severely criticized for its current action in Gaza and depicted as inhumane in those actions I felt strongly that I wanted to share with you some important facts that ought to be taken into consideration in the light of the accusations directed against Israel in current world opinion.

Although a vital aspect of my interest in the Middle East is for religious reasons, the following twenty items of information--out of more than fifty I have researched-- are not religious facts, they are just facts, period, that speak for themselves. It will only take you 3 minutes to read them.

I hope this can be of some help to you in understanding and responding.

8 Israel's military operation in Gaza is an act of self-defense, a right enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Its aim is to put an end to the more than 6,300 rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli citizens since Israel fully withdrew from Gaza in 2005.

8 Israel's actions to stop Hamas rocket attacks are proportional to the risk Israeli civilians—900,000 of whom are within rocket range—have faced, including the real prospect of mass casualties. Israel need not wait for a rocket to slam into a school full of children before it acts.

8 More than 10,000 tons of food and medicine have been transferred into Gaza during the past 10 days.

8 Under international law, any state must attempt to minimize the number of casualties of its opponent as it seeks to achieve its military objective. Accordingly, Israel uses pinpoint targeting to achieve its goals.

8 Israel drops leaflets and makes phone calls to targeted areas to warn citizens they are in danger, even if this means losing the element of surprise and putting the lives of its soldiers at risk.

8 While Israel makes every effort to minimize civilian casualties, international law precludes Hamas from using civilians to protect legitimate military targets, as Hamas regularly does. Article 28 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly states, "The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations."

8 The responsibility for civilian casualties when the civilians are used as human shields lies with the party that deliberately places them at risk, namely Hamas.

8 Hamas places civilians at risk by launching rockets from civilian areas and storing weapons in homes, schools and places of worship.

8 Hamas deliberately and cynically fires rockets from civilian areas to make it more difficult for Israel to target the terrorists and to increase the likelihood of civilian casualties when Israel takes action. Hamas has ignored a plea by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on April 28 that "civilian areas within Gaza should not be used as a base from which to launch its actions [against Israel]."

8 Dozens of mosques in Gaza have been turned into weapons storage facilities and Hamas command centers. An air strike on a mosque in the Tel El Hawwa neighborhood of Gaza City last Wednesday set off numerous secondary explosions caused by the arms stockpiled in the mosque.

8 Rockets fired from Gaza often kill Palestinian civilians as well as Israelis. Two Palestinian girls aged five and 13 were killed on Dec. 26 when a rocket landed short of its Israeli target.

8 Many of Hamas' senior members have taken to hiding in mosques and hospitals to avoid detection. Some terrorists are even disguising themselves as doctors and male nurses to avoid targeting by Israel, according to Israeli Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin.

8 Hamas openly admits it uses women and children as human shields. Hamas MP Fathi Hammad told Al-Aqsa TV on February 29, 2008, "For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry. ... This is why they have formed human shields of the women, the children, the elderly, and the mujahedeen, in order to challenge the Zionist bombing machine."

8 Israel continues to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza despite continuing rocket attacks against its civilians.

8 Israel is working closely with humanitarian organizations and is setting up a special situation task force to deal with aid requests. During the first week of Israel's operations, it has facilitated the delivery to Gaza of 400 trucks loaded with more than 10,000 tons of food and medicine.

8 The World Food Programme had to stop shipments of food commodities into Gaza last week because their warehouses were at full capacity with a two week supply.

8 Ten ambulances and 2,000 blood units have also been transferred to Gaza during the past week. More than 80 Palestinians have entered Egypt for treatment in addition to a dozen who have entered Israel.

8 During the six-month calm, Israel facilitated the transfer into Gaza of more than 14,000 trucks, 185,000 tons of foods, more than 7,000 tons of heating gas, more than 10 million gallons of fuel, and other supplies.

8 While there may be disruptions, Israel routinely supplies 70 percent of Gaza's electricity via 10 high voltage power lines from Israel. An additional five percent comes from Egypt.

8 On Jan. 5, more than 93,000 gallons of industrial diesel fuel and gasoline for vehicles was transferred into Gaza from the Nahal Oz fuel depot in Israel, which comes under regular attack from terrorists in Gaza. The industrial fuel transferred to the Gaza power station will allow it to operate for the next 10 days.

Thanks for allowing me to share the facts.

~ Dan Light

NOTE:  Dan initially sent this letter to a few friends, and I felt it was worth sharing with all our Let God Lead Us readers.  Bill McPhail