Tents of Mercy Congregation
Kiryat Yam, Israel
Here in Israel several incidents of discrimination against the secular population by the ultra-religious community have recently been reported.
A 13-year-old girl wearing a tank top was not permitted to board a bus in Ashkelon due to her “immodest dress.” In Tiberias, in a religious neighborhood, a young married religious woman received threatening letters in her mailbox claiming she was not properly attired, having been seen wearing pants under her skirt and failing to wear stockings.
Meanwhile, on June 8th the annual gay pride march took place in Tel Aviv right on the beach between Tel Aviv proper and the old city of Jaffa. This came shortly after our Israeli song presentation at the annual Eurovision (an international music competition which celebrates hedonism and alternative expression) won 3rd place, a dubious honor.
The social and political climate in Israel is at an all-time-record state of polarity. Since the elections in November 2022, each side is digging in their proverbial heels. The FAR RIGHT is pushing for legislation which will regulate life according to religious standards, affecting issues such as public transportation on the Sabbath, content that is taught in schools, and the role of women in the army, to name a few. The FAR LEFT is concerned with issues such as civic equality, religious freedom, the LGBTQ agenda, and removing military draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox.
Most in the Messianic community feel caught in the middle. For example, it is easy to identify with many aspects of quasi-biblical Orthodox Jewish standards. Yet, some of the Orthodox hate us and hate Yeshua, whereas the liberal side of Israeli society has tended to be more tolerant of Messianics. Keep in mind that the Messianic community in Israel is only 0.2 percent of Israel’s general population of 9.5 million people. It can feel at times like standing in a no-man’s land of society – between two large armies which are attacking each other. It can feel like finding yourself between a rock and a hard place.
Yeshua Between Two Worlds
Yeshua also walked here in this same land, in a manner that touched both the secular and the “religious.” He rejected the legalism of the Pharisees who were always trying to catch people in the wrong, to count and give an account of how many mitzvot (commandments) were missed. Yet He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfil it. He consorted with those who were considered sinners – tax collectors, adulterers, (not to mention those who picked wheat on the Sabbath), yet He did not condone unrighteous behavior.
Your mandate and mine, is to be in the world but not of the world. This paradoxical tension is an intense challenge. Our everyday reality is tied to the physical world, the rules of human society, the etiquette and expectations of an unredeemed system.
Occasionally, while going about life, it overwhelms me momentarily to look up and see that probably everyone around me does not believe like I do. In so many ways, it would be much easier to live a solitary lifestyle in a bubble away from all human interactions. But that is not the example that Yeshua gave us.
Yeshua was engaged with the messy people in the world, loving the Pharisees and the sinners alike, wanting them all to be saved. The scriptures call us to take up our cross and share in Yeshua’s suffering. The loneliness of walking in this no-man’s land is one of the difficulties we are called to bear.
In the northern Israeli town where we live, there are a few neighborhoods where one street is completely populated with devout Orthodox and the next street over is “hipster”/secular.
Moving through these streets, my head spins. I confess, the Orthodox are intimidating especially to me as a woman. Their strange black and white garb, side curls, and determined looks of avoiding what is “ta-may” (dirty), make me feel guilty by association even though I’ve done nothing wrong. One street over, where the hippie co-op is, tipsy, unshaven men sit drinking beer. Walking along the sidewalk to get to a shop or restaurant, I feel myself shrinking small so as not to brush up against the “locals.”
Empathy
When dealing with others in the world around us, to which we do not fully belong, it is always best to choose empathy. Yeshua loved both the Orthodox-religious and the outright sinners. His mission was not to judge either of these camps. He longed for both to approach Him in honesty, in spirit and in truth. He accepted anyone that came to Him with no pretense, no lies or masks, in humility and drew them to Himself.
Sticking Together
Those of us who are stuck in this no-man’s land need to stick together. It is critical that we hold on to each other and not give in to the enemy’s tricks to pull us apart and pick us off.
“I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:14-15 ESV)
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” (Luke 15:1-2)
Please pray for the annual children’s camp Tents of Mercy is hosting in July, with participants from the other Tikkun-related congregations in Israel as well as volunteers from a sister congregation in the US. Thank you!
