The Rats in Our Cellar

“I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed. And the excuse that immediately springs to my mind is that the provocation was so sudden and unexpected: I was caught off my guard, I had not time to collect myself. Now that may be an extenuating circumstance as regards those particular acts: they would obviously be worse if they had been deliberate and premeditated. On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man: it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have take cover before you switch on the light.”
- C.S. Lewis [Mere Christianity]

This depiction of man’s nasty-first-instincts called to mind a certain situation I found myself in last semester. I was walking the streets with a friend when two student-aged males approached us. One immediately blocked my path, shoved a paper in my face, and demanded me to “save a starving child!” Irritated by his abrasive method, I attempted to go around him, but he just moved in my way again and grabbed my arm. I then found myself physically pushing him out of my path. This did not deter him. What ensued was a heated ten-minute debate about whether or not he was “justified” in physically stopping me, and following me down the street, in order to save a child’s life (as he reasoned). I assured him that he was not, and made sure to inform him that his methods were deplorable, offensive, and extremely lacking in tact. He then accused me of being a cold-hearted, selfish human being who needed to be more sacrificial of her time and money. The truth is, if I had been approached in a more polite matter, I would have reacted an entirely different way. Even if I did not want to donate my money to the cause, I would have been much more graceful in the way in which I explained myself. However, that was not the case. I was so shocked by this guy’s forward behavior, that I didn’t even bother masking my irritation. Instead I proceeded to get into a circular fight with a stranger in which we both aggressively justified ourselves. The rat illustration made me wonder how much of my life consisted of me wearing a mask and hiding my initial reactions to things. This example may be a little bit extreme, but it certainly was a situation in which I found myself fully expressing my unpleasant feelings in a way I haven’t done in a looong time. On a side note: Who the heck thinks aggressively chasing people down the street is the way to get them to give to charity? I’d definitely like to meet this man again and give him some advice.

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Achieving Complete Focus

Interesting quote by Leon Uris, one of my favorite fiction authors. I believe this concept can be applied to other areas of life as well.

“This was what I came to find. The conquest of loneliness was the missing link that was, one day, going to make a decent novelist out of me. If you are out here and cannot close off the loves and hates of all that back there in the real world, the memories will overtake you and swamp you and wilt your tenacity. Tenacity, stamina… close off to everything and everyone but your writing. That’s the bloody price. I don’t know, maybe it’s some kind of ultimate selfishness. Maybe it’s part of the killer instinct. Unless you can stash away and bury thoughts of your greatest love, you cannot sustain the kind of concentration that breaks most men trying to write a book over a three- or four-year period.”
- Leon Uris [Mitla Pass, 1988]

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Settlements – Thoughts?

STATEMENT BY CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS CHAIRMAN ALAN SOLOW AND EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN MALCOLM HOENLEIN ON ISSUES RAISED REGARDING CONSTRUCTION IN JERUSALEM

New York, July 21, 2009 … The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has long advocated and supported the unity of Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel. As such, we believe that legal construction by residents of the city should be allowed as long as it is in keeping with the standards and requirements of the municipality and the national government. We find disturbing the objections raised to the proposed construction of residential units on property that was legally purchased and approved by the appropriate authorities. The area in question houses major Israeli governmental agencies, including the national police headquarters. The United States has in the past and recently raised objections to the removal of illegal structures built by Arabs in eastern Jerusalem even though they were built in violation of zoning and other requirements often on usurped land. In addition to the Jewish housing, the project called for apartment units for Arabs as well.

It is particularly significant that the structure in question formerly was the house of the infamous Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseni who spent the war years in Berlin as a close ally of Hitler, aiding and abetting the Nazi extermination of Jews. He was also linked to the 1929 massacre in Hebron and other acts of incitement that resulted in deaths and destruction in what was then Palestine. There has been an expressed desire by some Palestinians to preserve the building as a tribute to Husseini.

As a united city, Jerusalem’s Jewish and Arab residents should be permitted to reside wherever legal and security requirements allow. Hundreds of Arab families have moved into Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem and the same right should be accorded to Jewish residents in live where they choose in Jerusalem. To do otherwise would undermine and prejudge the status of the city.

No government of Israel has or can pursue a discriminatory policy that would prevent the legitimate presence of Jews in any area of its capital.

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

You’ve Got to be Kidding Me…

I found this picture and caption, featured on Jerusalem Post, to be absolutely hilarious. Completely laugh-worthy. Seriously, read the caption. I almost spit my toast out at the computer screen. It’s that ridiculous.

“Lebanon’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, right, hands his book “Islam, the religion of dialogue,” to former US President Jimmy Carter, left, in Beirut’s southern suburbs of Dahiyeh, Lebanon.”

Yeah, pretty cute. Anyway…

This weekend Carter is meeting with an official of the Yesha Council of Settlement – Shaul Goldstein – to speak about freezing Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He also will be meeting with various leaders of the Eastern world, including Mahmoud Abbas, Salam Fayyad, and Shimon Peres. Today, Carter is scheduled to meet Syrian President Bashar Assad. This guy gets around.

Classically enough, good old Jimmy will be hanging with Hamas while in the area. Official sources state that Hamas is planning to ask Carter to “pressure Israel” in regard to the settlement “issue.” This is not the first time Carter has acted as a mouthpiece for Hamas. Man, Carter, you’re pretty much taking on a spokesperson position for a terrorist group. Why don’t you just make it official already?

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Yom Ha’Shoah

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Day 19 of Operation Cast Lead

Well, this isn’t anything new or unexpected. The below video summarizes my sentiments on this situation (with a lot less rage and frustration). What an injustice Hamas is doing to it’s own citizens (as well as the people of Israel!)… it’s sickening. And now troublemakers in Lebanon are getting gutsy. It absolutely boggles my mind how the media (small pockets of it) can criticize Israel’s action as “disproportionate.” Having recently returned from visiting some areas which are now receiving rocket fire, I am amazed that anyone could speak out against Israel’s act of defending it’s civilians. The sound of a warning siren is not pleasant… and those in the south have been putting up with this terror for too long. I have come to know and respect many serving members of the IDF, and even participated in a 1 week army program. The maturity and restraint these young men and women exercise on a daily basis is honorable. I don’t have to think for more than a second to recognize the extreme difference in morality between the two forces fighting against each other at this moment in time. Strength and courage to you, IDF!

I will probably write something more detailed later (regarding this topic, and topics stemming from it) as I am now settled into my new residence.

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Home Again

No more Mediterranean weather and clear blue skies with F-16s streaking across.

I’m back in Michigan. Flew into Detroit from the DBG Airport in Tel-Aviv on the first of December. Quite a contrast in climates… left me slightly depressed. Unfortunately, the program I was involved in did not pay. I ended up converting most of my savings into shekels… and lets just say five months without a real job took a toll on my bank account. But that’s okay. It was definitely worth it (minus a few extremely crappy and unpleasant situations). I now have three weeks before I move to the Windy City where coldness and public transportation awaits me.

Besides draining my personal savings, Israel also took a piece of my heart. I’m hooked. Most of my “preconceptions” about this controversial strip of land were reconfirmed. However, I feel like I did gain a clearer picture of the place I have been reading about for so long, and my appetite has merely been whet. I plan on continuing with some sort of Hebrew program, either put together by myself, or lessons in a more structured environment. I also plan on returning to Israel as often as possible. This will be an interesting feat seeing as I am broke and might have to sell my liver for a plane ticket. Anyway, this is basically the post where I announce my safe return to my zero readers & let them know I will probably be picking more fights in the blogosphere.

Oh, and props to GB for the shoe-dodging skills.

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Travel Blog

I decided to keep a separate blog while I’m living in Israel. It is located here. I keep it brief; just enough to update friends and family.

EDIT [12/19/08] : Well, that was a failure.

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Irannosaurus

Apparently Iran’s warhead blueprint is ‘alarming’. But Iran just wants to ‘generate power’.

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Just Some Thoughts on Judgment

I am wondering… when did discernment become a bad thing? Why is it wrong to make solid, biblically based JUDGMENTS against what is false? How is that biblically wrong? Please, tell me. I’m guessing that people are afraid of the word ‘judgment’ because they think it always entails hate and hypocrisy. Does that mean we are never to speak out against false doctrines or religions as Christians? There is a difference between hypocritically judging your brother and recognizing what is wrong and contending for truth.

I should not waste time judging the hearts of men who are outside of the Christian faith. They will answer to God, not me (1 Cor. 5:13). However, this does not eliminate the fact that as Christians we are to contend EARNESTLY for the faith (Jude 1:3). Today, that is very hard to do without dispelling the lies that have arisen in opposition to the Faith. Just as Paul, in Acts 17, called out the Athenians on their worship of false gods, so are we, who have the truth, to make the truth known. That ‘unknown god’ should be made known to others so that they can worship Him in truth as well.

The fear of exercising biblically sound judgment should not be used as an excuse to let falsehood have its’ way without truthful opposition.

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)

Just Some Thoughts on Truth

Truth and God - can they be separated? In a debate that took place on this blog, it was stated, “they believe in a different Truth than you, not a different God.” This is in reference to Islam and Christianity. However, a quick perusing of the Scriptures would make it clear that God and Truth are inseparable (John 14:6). Look up “truth” in a concordance and see for yourself. Just because the Qur’an has a few twisted correlations with the Bible doesn’t make such a statement justifiable by any means. God cannot be separated from truth (once that line is crossed, it’s all downhill). It is not logical, no matter how one tries to justify it. God’s word is not subject to relativity. To mix the God of the Bible with the “god” of the Qur’an is not truth. The fact of the matter is, we are to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). There aren’t any concessions. God is not a God of partial truth.

I’ve come to realize that there are a lot of things regarding truth and scriptures that Christians try to get around. Whether we re-word things, or package it to look prettier - truth is being turned into silly putty on a daily basis. This is scary. I have to watch myself at times, because it’s very easy to fall into this trend. It’s a sticky, sneaky, deceptive trap.

“Since Scripture is also the one place where we are given the way of Salvation, entrance into the kingdom of God, and and infallible account of Christ, the Bible is the touchstone to which all truth claims should be brought and by which all other truth must finally be measured.” - John MacArthur

Guess what? The Allah of the Qur’an doesn’t measure up to the truth of Scriptures. To even hypothetically put him in the same category as God is wrong. I want the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. To settle for anything less is wrong.

(via A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks)