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Ever had a conversation like that…with the air?

I know I have.

The world has a way of beating innocence out of us, doesn’t it?

When I was a kid my father introduced me to science fiction. One of my first memories was of sitting on dad’s lap watching Star Trek. Fantasy was always a big part of my life. I had an imaginary friend. I spoke to God on a regular basis and really believed that He answered me. We had conversations. We would talk about the weather, dogs, cats, what breakfast was going to be tomorrow, how awesome those clouds were…

“Look at those! Wow…”

“That one there looks like a frog! This other one looks like a lion…”

“…and that one there…it looks like…God’s Smile!”

For some reason we have very little problem accepting the idea of God—when we’re small. It seems like the most natural thing in the world to believe in a divine being who is gentle and loving, kind and caring, always having our best interest as the most important thing in His heart. I know that not everyone has had this kind of experience of God, but I know I have. I remember a time when I was around the age of three that I literally felt surrounded by God’s love. It was as if I actually LIVED in His love!

I can’t tell you how many times as an adult I wish I could return to those simpler times!

You know what I mean­­?

­Over the years, I’ve met people from all over the world, and shared so many common stories with people from all walks of life, including the two stories above. My worldview has been challenged more times than I can count. It constantly amazes me that people from such diverse cultures can have so much in common; yet have so much not in common at the same time!

I remember years ago, beckoning to a colleague on the other side of a noisy, crowded room to come join me. An innocent enough thing to do, and something I’m sure you’ve probably had a similar experience with, right? My co-worker came storming up to me with fire burning in her eyes! She could barely contain the fuming unspoken curses raging and trying to escape from her tense, pursed lips.

I had no idea what I’d done wrong.

Several days later after trying to get to the bottom of the situation, my wife came to me and explained that in her native culture, the gesture I had used was one of calling to a lady-of-the-night to engage her services.

I really had no idea!

If it is so easy to cause offence and misconstrue one person’s gesture in the midst of a room full of people, how often do we misread, misinterpret and misunderstand the people closest to us?

We all have filters through which we sift the information we are engaged with moment-by-moment. There have been volumes of psychological, theological and philosophical works on this subject. Why? Because of the amazing amount of confusion we humans all seem to be trying to clearing up about the “this, that and the other things” of life that someone didn’t quite understand about something we did, said, wrote or the expression we did (or they perceived us to) make.

Our filters don't necessarily make us right or wrong, they simply determine our point of view.

One person may have been devastated by the death of Michael Jackson, while the next person may view it as, "One less pedophile in the world." One person may perceive Barack Obama as the Messiah while the next may view George W. Bush as the anti-Christ. These are just the filters through which each person sees life’s events, situations and the actions of others.

By being aware of our filters we are more cognizant of the fact that we are not necessarily right or wrong, we're just us. Coming to a place where we understand this concept leads us to the realization that our perspective is more often, "It's all about me,” but rarely, “I am trying to understand you…”

Here’s An Exercise:

Consider a time when you went out of your way to help someone who was then offended by your words or actions. Did the recipient see your good intentions as evil "according to their filters"?

I think most people have had such an experience, no?

In my life there is at least one person I know of that seems to always read what I say in an email in exactly the opposite way of what I actually wrote.

Do you have someone like that in your life? Perhaps more than one person?

Maybe you are that person and you know it?!?

Or…maybe you don’t.

I’ve heard many people express their frustration with these “filter problems” with such sentiment as,

I love work. I just can’t stand the people I work with!

I love God, but I can’t stand God’s people!

I Love Mankind. It’s People I Can’t Stand!

Every friendship or relationship starts out with so much hope.  We dream big about the possibilities that this person will bring to our lives.  We start out being open, generous, and giving.  Then, as people will do, we start to disagree and things get on our nerves.  In our polite, new friendship mode, we let things go to keep the peace.  Then at some point, there comes the deal breaker and all of the pent up anger gets released—and usually not in a healthy way.  Do we give in to the dark side and cling to the notion that we always have to be right?

Our filter says we are right!

Their filter says they are right!

Have you ever experienced frustrating thoughts like these?

Why is that person always reading between the lines and hearing something I am not actually saying?!?

Why does [insert person’s name here] insist that I am acting out of selfishness or malice when I only trying to be helpful?

How in the world could [so-and-so] have gotten me so wrong?

Here’s a practical example:

A while back I was at a three day conference and made some new friends with two guys who shared a common passion and vision for things. Over the course of the weekend we spent more time talking to each other than listing to the guest speakers. One of them made it clear that as much as he loves talking, he really likes doing a lot more, especially when there seemed to be so much agreement.

So we decided to meet a few more times to talk, brainstorm and pray about whether God was in these discussions and if He was, did he want us to act? As part of that prayer and excitement we thought it might be nice to bring in some more people to the prayer and discussions.

There were two other mutual friends that we invited who also shared some similar dreams and visions.

During the subsequent meeting, these other two people began accusing me of trying to force God’s hand to make things happen—when nothing could have been further from the truth. For some reason those two had the idea that I was trying to maneuver and control those gathered in order to make my own dreams come true. They had the mistaken idea that I wanted to head everything up and be the main one in charge.

It was weird. It was strange. It was very odd.

What was said was supposed to have been “from God” and maybe it was, but it sure wasn’t a message I needed to hear! Maybe it was the guy sitting next to me…because none of the things said were in my mind and heart!

I was offended.

Those two people were offended at what they thought my intentions were. They were wrong about my intentions, but they would not hear what I had to say, believing me to be trying to cover up “my sin.”

The original three of us guys were stunned at the reaction, “Where did that come from?” said one. It was actually the one guy who had done nearly all the talking who asked this question. He was the same guy who had previously said he didn’t want to just talk, he wanted to act. I think the message was for him.

The bottom line was this: the stated purpose of the meeting was to gather together to talk about mutual dreams and pray about them, and to see if God wanted to make them more than just intellectual stimulation!

The “Filter” through which those two invited guests had viewed me, was a little perplexing to say the least. Their well intentioned discussions about me with other people after the incident caused considerable harm to many relationships.

It is amazing how much damage a couple of well-intentioned “saints” can cause.

Maybe they should have come to talk to me?

Filters: Can you relate?

In our faith, it is easy to sit in church surrounded by a loving church family, and think that we will always be God-like in our interactions with others.  When the people around us are warm and wonderful, it is easy for us to reciprocate in the same manner.

But what about when false accusations come?

Our filters create difficulties in relationships, family, work environments and everyday interactions with those around us. By more clearly understanding why we (and they) react the way we do, maybe we can somehow work together toward actually being the people God wants us to be.

If our “filters” can cause so much trouble between people we love and care about, what kind of trouble do they cause between us understanding God and His intentions?

Tomorrow: Chapter 2
But if you don't want to wait, you can get the whole book right now: https://www.createspace.com/3582133

SINNING SAINTS?

SINNING SAINTS

In Ezekiel 18 we find the Old Testament church complaining.

Ezekiel  18:25-26  Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?  26  When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

Do you know what they are complaining about?  They are complaining because God is forgiving the unrighteous, but He will not let the Old Testament church continue in their unrighteousness without punishment.  The righteous are wanting to sin without punishment as they watch God saving those old unrighteous people who are cursed with disease and problems and the Old Testament church is angry.

Do you know what one of the greatest tragedies of Christianity is today?  The sinners are getting saved and the saved are becoming sinners. 

You talk about a slap in the face!  I am not interested in that happening to me.  I am not interested in someone taking my crown.  I am not interested in someone taking my glory.  I am not interested in giving up my birthright.  I am not interested in selling my birthright for a bowl of pottage.

I have come too far to turn back.  The man who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Remember Lot's wife.

Genesis 19:26  But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 1:8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Ezekiel says,

Ezekiel 18:29  Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

Equal means fair.  Are not your ways unequal?  Are not your ways unfair? "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways..."  The New Testament says,

Philippians 2:12  ...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Choose this day what you shall have, blessings or cursing, life or death.

Deuteronomy 30:19  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Ezekiel says,

Ezekiel 18:30  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.  

Why are Jews considered rich?

Walk through history: Myth of wealthy, greedy Jew born in Europe in Middle Ages, when Jews were forced to charge interest on loans to Christians. 'They were like parking inspectors: Taking money for others and getting beaten up for it,' says historian

Tani Goldstein

Published:  05.06.11, 10:52 / Israel Business

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Singer Roger Waters angered the Anti-Defamation League recently with a video screened during his concerts, which included images of planes dropping bombs in the shape of Jewish Stars of David, followed by dollar signs.

Anti-Semitism

EJC: European attitudes 'deeply disturbing'  / Ynetnews Poll conducted by German think-tank finds 72% of Poles, 68% of Hungarians and 50% of Germans believe 'Jews try to take advantage of having been victims during the Nazi era' Full story

According to the ADL, Waters used "the worst age-old anti-Semitic stereotype about Jews and their supposed obsession with making money."

The clip wasn't just directed just at Jews: The planes also showered crosses, Islamic crescents and commercial brands. But this incident shows just how deep this stereotype is rooted, even with the pacifist singer – who linked dollars to Stars of David of all items – and also with Jews, who are so irritated by this issue.

Jewish wealth: Ancient, murderous myth

Allegedly, the link to dollars could have been considered a compliment. However, millions of Jews have been humiliated, tortured and murdered on behalf of the "claim" that the Jews – sophisticated and greedy cheaters who "only love money" – gained control of the business world and became rich by exploiting the poor gentiles.

The Internet is filled with such statements to this very day: Delusional websites blame the "Jewish wealth" for intentionally causing the global financial crisis. Islamic preachers attack the Jewish capital which allegedly controls the world and works forIsrael. Veteran American reporter Helen Thomas recently statedthat the Jewish lobbies are "in total control" of the US Congress, the White House, Wall Street and Hollywood.

The fear of Jewish wealth is ancient. The slavery in Egypt – the first story in the history of the hatred directed at the Jewish people – began as a Hebrew success story: Joseph's managerial success and the people of Israel's moneymaking, which made the Egyptians jealous. But the myth of the rich Jew was born thousands of years later – in Christian Europe of the Middle Ages.

"The average Christian in the Middle Ages was convinced that all Jews are rich, that they're hiding huge treasures of silver and gold, and that they're deceiving the Christians and robbing their money through spells. These things appear in many folktales," says Prof. Dina Porat of the Chaim Rosenberg School for Jewish Studies at Tel Aviv University, who also holds the Alfred P. Slaner chair for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism.

How rich were the Jews in reality? Documents from the Middle Ages show that at least some of them were very wealthy. A correspondence conducted by a Jewish merchant from the 11th century who participated in a fair in Germany, for example, shows that the amount of money he made there equaled one-third of the treasures of Hungary's king.

Biographies of princes and dukes show that some of them had a Jewish advisor, "the court Jew", who managed their finances like Joseph.

But researchers are at odds over what was the standard of living of most Jews.

"The Jews' situation deteriorated over the years," says Prof. Aviad Kleinberg of the Department of History at Tel Aviv University, who specializes in medieval history. "In the early Middle Ages, from the eighth century to the 12th century, most of them lived quite well.

"The really rich people were the military officials, the government workers and the estate owners, and they were all Christians, because Jews were no allowed to work in the civil service and own land," says Kleinberg.

"But most of the Christian population comprised of land leasing peasants, while most Jews were craftsmen and merchants. In today's terms, both were very poor, but as a generalization, it seems the Jews were not as poor."

"The Jews came from the developed Middle East and brought along business knowledge. Jews were portable because they could stay in distant communities. They almost had a monopoly in professions which required traveling, like wine trade. In the Jewish society there was a bit more gender equality, and the women managed the business when the men were traveling."

"There was poverty among the Jews too," stresses Prof. Porat. "But they had efficient institutions for mutual aid. The rich Jews donated money. The community provided visits to patients, wedding ceremonies for young couples and charity for the poor. The Jews lived in higher standards of hygiene thanks to the ritual bathing and hand washing, and fewer died of plagues."

Richer from loan with interest?

The Jews in Western and central Europe became less wealthy in the late Middle Ages, from the 12th century.

"Society developed and the Jews were pushed aside," says Kleinberg. "The Christian craftsmen were organized in guilds and the Jews remained outside and lost their livelihood. The Christians opened universities and created new professions like medicine and advocacy, which required academic education, and the Jews couldn't study there. At the end of the day, they were pushed to despicable professions like loan with interest."

But engaging in loan with interest strengthened the Jews' image as rich people exploiting the Christians.

"The loan with interest did not make them rich. They were dealing with change. The Jews were just the middlemen who loaned the aristocrats' money to the poor. The aristocrats made most of the money.

"It's true that the poor debtors hated the Jews, with whom they had to settle accounts in their daily life. People hate those who collect from them directly, not the strong people behind them. Most drivers who get a parking ticket are angry with the inspector, not with the mayor who employs him, and the Jews were in the same situation as inspectors."

Jew with bag of money in his hand

"These loans were run like today's gray market," notes Porat. "The interest was 30%, and those who didn't pay it back were forced to provide their property as a guarantee, and if that wasn't enough they were killed.

"The Christians carried out the killings, but those who nagged the debtors were the Jews – and they were the ones subject to the hatred. The Christians thought the Jews were rich even when the Jews were really poor."

Why?

"The Jews lived in the city and worked in professions related to money. Jews who run very small businesses had some financial knowledge as well. They kept books, exchanged money and invested. This made ignorant Christians to think that they're rich.

"A peasant, who used money once a month when he came to sell and buy in the city, and encountered their sophistication and knowledge, thought to himself, 'They must be magicians who got their powers from the devil.'

"In any event, the image of the rich Jew came first of all from religion and was nurtured by the church," says Porat. "The drawings, the sculptures and the plays in the churches presented imaginary treasures of Jews and appalling images of them as blood-sucking leeches.

"The church is responsible for the fact that the Jews were the only ones engaging in credit, as it forbade the Christians to loan to each other directly with interest – but only through Jewish mediation."

Where did the church itself draw these images from? It's possible that the priests, who were well familiar with the Exodus story, were influenced by it in some distorted way. But it seems that the main Jewish image they were affected by was Judas Iscariot, Jesus' disciple who turned him in, according to the New Testament.

"According to the story, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 shekels, a lot of money," says Porat. "The act became the symbol of treachery and greed. The Christians, most of whom could not read or write and knew the stories from pictures, were unaware of the fact that Jesus was Jewish, but knew that Judas was, because of his name and because he was drawn as the Jews of their time – with a small bag of money in his hand."

Jews always considered materialistic

And yet, Porat and Kleinberg stress that the real and imaginary wealth of the Jews was not the main motive for the hatred against them.

"I doubt that the money issue was the main 'claim' against the Jews in the Middle Ages," says Kleinberg. "Jews were persecuted for many reasons, most of them related to religion, although they were always considered materialistic. The Middle Ages literature describes the Jew – and the Muslim – as a person who is only interested in sex and money. That's how strangers are always treated in closed and fanatic societies, regardless of how rich they really are."

Kleinberg believes that the Jews' impoverishment in the late Middle Ages aggravated the persecution. "The Christian society was intolerant and didn't like foreigners or people who were different, but accepted them when they needed them, sort of like foreign workers are treated today. In the early Middle Ages the Christians needed the Jews' professional knowledge, so they were treated reasonably.

"The shocking violence against the Jews we know about from the literature began mainly from the Crusades at the end of the 11th century, and became a widespread phenomenon in the West since the 13th century. Beforehand, the Jews lived for hundreds of years safely under the personal and direct protection of the kings, which was considered a special privilege. The persecution began when they were no longer needed."

The late Middle Ages in Western and Eastern Europe were bad times for the Jews. They were locked in ghettos, beaten up, imprisoned, tortured, expelled and murdered in masses. The hatred created a strange development: The Jews were persecuted, among other things, for "being rich". As the persecution increased – they became poor, and as they became poor – their status diminished and the persecution grew stronger, but the wealthy and exploiting image remained unchanged, even when there were no more Jews around.

The most famous work of art about the greedy Jewish moneylender is William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", which was written in England in the 16th century, 300 years after all Jews were banished from the country.

Town's Jews were 'parking inspectors'

The violence prompted the Jews to immigrate from the West to towns in Eastern Europe – Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Romania and Hungary – which became the biggest Jewish center in the world sometime during the Middle Ages.

Eastern Europe was poor and backward – the economic reality in the West in the early Middle Ages continued in the East for hundreds of years later, and the Jews in the small towns benefited from it.

"In Eastern Europe there was no middle class, and the Christians needed the Jews who developed the economy, like they did earlier in the West," says Kleinberg. "The Jews were among the few in Eastern Europe who had businesses knowledge, in later periods too, even in the 16th century. They established the first banks there and controlled entire fields, like textile.

"Until the 19th century they were almost half of the urban population in Eastern Europe. The kings and aristocrats welcomed them and gave them the protection they lost in the West."

The hatred and stereotypes against the Jews existed in Eastern Europe just like in the West, but until the 17th century there were only few attacks on Jews. Like in the West, the severe pogroms in the small towns began after the Jews were pushed there too into the status of "parking inspectors".

"The Jewish town was the property of the local aristocrat, the 'land owner', and the Jews lived there in exchange for services they gave him," says Prof. Israel Bartal of the Department of Jewish History at Hebrew University. "Many Jews were lessees. The feudal system determined that all assets – like gristmills or bridges – belonged to the aristocrats. The aristocrat handed the assets to the Jews to manage them.

"This was how the method worked: The land owner let the Jew use the property for land leasing fees of, let's say, 1,000 zloty. The Polish and Ukrainian peasants paid the Jew for using the gristmill, paid him a fee to cross the bridge, and paid him for the beer they drank at the pub.

"If the Jew charged 2,000 zloty, he earned 1,000. If he charged 1,000 he didn't earn a thing. In any event, the Jew stood in front of the peasants and was subject to their grudge, curses and beating."

'Gold treasures buried under town'

"The Jews in the towns were poor too," says Bartal. "They lived in density, two or three families in a three-room cabin, and ate mainly bread or potatoes.

"But the poorest Jew was a bit wealthier than the peasants in the neighboring village. The peasant was a vassal while the Jew moved freely. The peasant was illiterate while the Jew had some knowledge.

"Therefore, in the villages there were tales about the Jews' imaginary wealth and the sacks of gold they are hiding, allegedly, underground. To this day there are people in Ukraine who believe there are gold treasures hiding under the places where those miserable towns were.

"So when they had the chance they went out to rob Jews, and when popular revolts broke out against the aristocrats, like the Khmelnytsky uprising of the Cossacks in the 17th century, the Jews were slaughtered."

The process the Jews underwent in the Middle Ages in the West – persecution, impoverishment, poverty and more persecution – happened later on in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries to millions of Jews in Eastern Europe too.

At the end of the 19th century, most of the Jews in Eastern Europe – in other words, most of the Jews in the world – were as poor as church mice. But the image which stuck to them – the sophisticated, deceptive and rich tribe, which exploits the gentiles – did not disappear. On the contrary, it grew stronger and became the main "case" of anti-Semitism in the 20th century.

Comment
			The money was important because with the money it was possible to remain alive. The Jews who were poor could not prevent the murderers from killing them or killing their loved ones. Therefore, the wealthier Jews could buy their lives with money. The poor Jews could not. The horror stories were happening to the Jews of Europe simply because the Jews did not have a place they could call home. They did not have a piece of dirt, real estate that was their own. Thank God for Israel. Despite the Arab hatred in general and Palestinian Arab hatred in particular these days the Jews can at least be as normal as other people who have a sovereign state and a national, their own, historical identity. These days a Jew does not have be Hungarian or Russian. A Jew does not have to be protected by the French or German police and authorities. These days a Jew can protect his family.and his people himself in the land where the majoriry is Jewish and the anti-Semitic world hates it. The world hates the fact that the Jews don't want to be the victims any more