THE JEWS AND JESUS

Growing up, I had been convinced by my own experience and the history of my people that everyone wanted to kill Jews, especially Eastern Europeans and Germans. I therefore resisted Anita's plans to visit Poland during the celebration of our 25th anniversary. My four grandparents had come from Poland, and they had little good to say about the Poles.

However, after two weeks in Poland, I was so  encouraged by the Polish people that I too began to call myself a "Pole." Now, after almost three weeks in the Ukraine, I feel that I am almost Ukrainian.

Of course, here, my experiences have overwhelmingly been a reflection of the Ukrainian Christians I have met and the various churches where I have taught. Surprisingly, these churches gladly display Jewish symbols and routinely pray for Israel.

A few days ago, we visited a Carpathian Mountain Evangelical church in Rakhiv. The pastors, Joseph and Vadim, took us to visit a Jewish cemetery hidden away in the mountains. They even instructed me about the Jewish symbolism on the gravestones. More surprisingly, they and their church have felt led to keep up this cemetery, without any compensation, in respect for the great tragedy sustained by the Jewish community.

However, good deeds cannot long remain hidden. One Jewish doctor, when informed of their sacrificial work, could not contain his tears.

I could not resist boasting about the love of Christians for Jews when I had met an Israeli family in Rakhiv. They knew about the cemetery and were planning to visit. However, they were not surprised by what I related. They too had heard about the sacrificial work of this Evangelical Church.

These accounts, and many others that I had heard, have bolstered my conviction that Christ transform lives and builds community as He has done for me. Christ is the Source of love and peace. He is the only bulwark against the threats and fears that we face. He assures us that He will even convert the greatest threats into occasions for great rejoicing.