By Jan Markell
When a college forum talks about being pro-peace and pro-Jesus, why
do I become suspicious? When the event is sponsored by a Department of
Reconciliation Studies, why do I become uncomfortable? The answer is, in
part, that I graduated from this once rock-solid school in prehistoric
days when Christian colleges were a safe bet.
Bethel University in St.
Paul, Minn., is like most Christian schools today. They are trying to
be cutting edge, and they are trying to tell the truth from their
perspective. But when the forum is about leaving the “traditional
pro-Israel stand” and learning to embrace the tormented Palestinians
instead, you will begin to understand the dilemma. The attempt at
“reconciliation” is disingenuous. The whole truth won’t be told.
And indeed, Bethel University’s “Hope for the Holy Land” offered no
hope and didn’t tell the truth.
The speakers were on tour promoting
Christian engagement in Palestine and Israel. They included Lynne Hybels
from Willow Creek Church in Illinois, Sami Awad from the Holy Land
Trust and Mae Elise Cannon from World Vision.
I did not know that at the same time my friend and fellow journalist
Jim Fletcher was attending “Catalyst East” in Atlanta, one of the
greatest gatherings of young evangelicals in America. And, they are
largely pro-Palestinian. I shudder as I compare notes with Fletcher
because the conclusion is obvious: Israel’s days of enjoying
unquestionable support from the evangelical community is eroding. He
heard a few of the same voices I did.
Fletcher writes, “Lynne Hybels presented no context with regard to
physical conflicts between Israel and her Arab neighbors. For example,
in her admittedly brief overview of the region, war seemed to spring up
out of nowhere. No mention of Arab invasions of Israel in 1948 or 1973,
or the cataclysmic decisions of Egypt’s Nasser in 1967, which led to
Israel administering the disputed territories of Judea/Samaria, or as
the world largely knows it, the West Bank.”
He continues, “For
example, Hybels and others have begun framing the issue in terms of
‘pro-peace, pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian, and pro-Jesus.’ Other speakers
such as Glenn Stassen, David Gushee, Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo
savage Christian Zionists in the most odious terms. Hybels presents a
softer, gentler side of Palestinian advocacy.”
I made the same conclusion about Lynne Hybels. If you have to listen
to Palestinian propaganda, it is nice to hear it in a soft-spoken voice.
The same can be said for Christian Arab Sami Awad. Both are people you
would like to get to know better. Both are sincere Christians who just
happen to believe what Palestinian Christian leaders have said more than
they choose to believe many verses in the Bible as it concerns God’s
land and people. Lynn and Sami aren’t being disingenuous. They have
different interpretations of the Bible, theology and the facts on the
ground.
The problem is they are speaking into the minds of young people who
may not be able to properly process the information. These same young
people will soon become pastors and teachers to the church at large, and
the untruths will be further implemented in the church.
How can you genuinely be pro-peace if there is no truthful talk about the following?
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