“The soldiers… illegally requested that the journalists hand in their phones, and when they refused, the soldiers pointed a gun at one of the journalists, hit him with their hands and the barrel of a gun, then dragged him out of the car and slammed him onto the concrete. When lying on the ground, they pointed 2 guns at his head. The rest of the journalists exited the car and the military raided it, confiscating phones, cameras, and personal items,” said @the_andrey_x.
This story is no where to be found in major US media outlets. The US State Department has also been silent.
The abuse that Israel is committing against journalists must be brought to light.
Genesis 32:28 RSV — Then he said, “Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Matthew 5:11-12 RSV — “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This chapter addresses the difference between Jacob and Israel. Although referring to the same man and his descendents, Jacob wasn’t renamed Israel until he wrestled with an angel of God in, perhaps, the most vulnerable moment of his life. Jacob was alone, having sent all his posessessions with his entire family to give them to his brother Esau for forgiveness. After having his birthright stolen by Jacob, Esau grew strong enough to kill his brother. As Jacob waited to learn whether his gifts would spare him his life, an angel appeared to wrestle him through the night.
Home education brought me to a place where I could find Christ in my heart. The bravery and freedom I discovered through deschooling and unschooling dissolved my assumptions and opened my mind and heart. In an effort to have a more peaceful and loving family environment, I found the ultimate source of Love.
Anything can take you away from God, if you let it. Addiction is possession.
Nothing can take you away from God if you don’t allow it to do so.
I do take these things seriously. Jonathan Pageau is one of my favorite living thinkers and he disagrees with me, to an extent.
The key for me is ignorance. We are ignorant to the depth of meaning in Christian rituals, but that doesn’t mean that we are misusing them. It does mean that Christian rituals can be distorted to worship false gods. Just look at any church during playoffs.
Because these are meant to be spaces dedicated to the worship of God and emulation of Christ, I end up leaving as soon as there’s a celebration of government holidays, local sports teams, or innumerable secular idols.
Whether it’s a jiu-jitsu, yoga, Lego, grocery, retail, museum, arboreteum, etc., etc…space, I know it wasn’t designed with God in mind and isn’t run with Christ at the center. That doesn’t make me fearful. I know God is in these spaces and my intention is to be aware of Him and and align my actions, words, and thoughts with His Will as closely as I am able.
