The Long History of Antisemitism

Has the Spirit ever worked in your life in "layers?" You hear a sermon, listen to a podcast, read a novel, and the Spirit weaves all of them together in one compelling, beautiful lesson? That happened to me before the October 6th attacks in Israel. As I state in this post, I have no desire to enter the Israeli/Palestinian debate--none of you read me for my opinions on geopolitical issues. But I believe God prepared me to "feel" for what happened on that day months before it did. Maybe some of you can relate. This is certainly a much different kind of post than I usually write, but in case it interests some of you, here goes...

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Karl Barth, a preeminent twentieth-century theologian, was once asked about the best evidence for the existence of God.

Barth’s response was two words: “The Jew.”

He explained that the Jewish people have been a special target of genocide for much of their existence. Their enemies have tried to wipe them out for thousands of years, yet they remain. Barth believed their continued existence demonstrates a particular providence of God that preserves them to this day.