Jerusalem

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem . . . 

 - From Isaiah 40

Jerusalem was in the news this week. 

Jerusalem was in the news last week.

It was in the news last year.

Jerusalem has been in the news my entire life. It has been in the news since Melchizadek met Abram, fed him, and blessed him at his home in the city of Salem, forerunner to Jerusalem. It is a central city in Scripture, and in world history. The name means, "City of Peace."

The City of Peace has been in the center of the vortex of war, for centuries. Abram made it a critical hub, and then King David solidified that designation by making it the capital of Israel. It became, and remained the symbolic home to which the scattered people of Israel would return, one day. It is their capital. It inspired them, and moved them to keep the faith, and one day, return.

Jesus will return with the City of New Jerusalem. Not New Berlin. Not New London. Not New Moscow. Not New New York. Not New Baghdad. Not New Tel Aviv.

New Jerusalem. 

And yet others have made it their symbolically most important city, too. 

Why? Why did the Jews, of all history's peoples, when it came to their Shangri-la, their Mecca, have to deal with other claimants upon their central, defining place? 

This will be a question for our discussion group at Cafe Omega*, some day. 

The Christian and Hebrew Scriptures speak tenderly of Jerusalem. God knows the pain of Jerusalem. His heart cries on its behalf. He longs to cradle the city and its people. He says, "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem." 

This is our call to action. Let others scream and threaten, when it comes to Jerusalem. But let our response be as though Jerusalem were an injured, frightened cub. Let it be a gentle topic for us. Others may stir things up. But we will settle them down.

Speak tenderly. 

* Cafe Omega. A coffee shop in eternity, where we will all get together to talk about all these things.