My Father Is a Jewish Carpenter

I have blogged in the past about Judaism, and two days ago I posted about trying not to create offence. Today I heard about a new way of creating offense that I had never heard of before: It seems that there is a Christian family living in a predominately Jewish area that just recently discovered Christianity's Jewish roots, and are now adopting Jewish customs. I can see how that could be fun and interesting, and might even help one to understand some of the references in Scripture that so many people not familiar with Jewish customs have a hard time with. Still, there are better ways to bond with Jewish people.

Quite frankly, there is a peculiar relationship between the three major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three religions believe at least some of the same things. Jesus was born a Jew, and the Koran mentions Jesus as having been sent as a Savior to the Jews. There are, of course, major differences in the religions; with each of the three teaching that the other two are, although close, somewhat wrong. Usually the big objection to Christianity (from the other two religions) tends to be that all through the Old Testament (or Tanakh), there was one God; then Jesus came, and suddenly there are three Gods. Even if you accept Jesus as an additional God (which you shouldn't--He is not another God), where did this other God come from? Both Christianity and Islam look at the Jews as having been God's chosen people, but they rejected the savior that God sent for them (at this point, there are two divisions, though; a lot of people want to just write them off, while some of us still see a great deal of potential in the Jews). Islam, on the other hand, in some ways seems to follow along the lines of Judeo-Christianity, but in other ways, seems to have taken a sharp left...

In any case, to simply adopt the customs of another group of people can be annoying, or insulting. I understand that the Jewish neighbors at least know why this Christian family is suddenly trying to act Jewish, and they know that it is not attempt to mock them. It occurs to me that a better way to bond with Jewish neighbors would be to ask questions about their customs and their faith. Not to imitate, but to gain an understanding. It helps if one has a legitimate question regarding an Old Testament Scripture that is referred to in the New Testament (such as "What was David referring to in the 22nd Psalm?" knowing that he was describing the Crucifixion; or "What child was Isaiah talking about in Isaiah 7:14?" but be prepared that they are going to tell you that he was talking about his own child--Isaiah's wife became pregnant shortly after that), but ask for help in understanding, and then wait for an opportunity to explain why that explanation is important to you (and if it isn't important, keep it to yourself).

We, as Christians, have a bad tendency to behave as though we are better than non-Christians. God so loved the world... He doesn't have a special love for us, He loves all of His creation; He would like to save more people, but it is up to us.