Eleven stood with us, just the right team for the vigil at the inter-city Shiloh church on July 29, 2007. Contact was close and personal with the crowd in front of Shiloh’s doors. We were well prepared with literature and left about 400 pieces with the many hundreds who attended. God may have been there on the streets of Oakland; I don’t know about inside. Long time friend Jack Utz was there from far away, who also attended a Night to Honor Israel in South Carolina. He described the Vigil as “a church without walls,” exactly what we want each vigil to be.
Numerous church attendees stopped to discuss why we were there. One Sheila commented it was the first protest she had ever seen where there was dialogue. A couple from Rome, Italy, friends of one Vigiler from the neighborhood, stayed to watch and listen, the husband was translating for his wife, both hoping to understand Christian Zionism. They told us pickets at the Vatican are common.
Every vigil is exciting, bringing butterflies and a a chill of anticipation. As my 17-year-old office assistant H.S. puts it after being a part in one, “it is like going into battle.”
The hint of fear everyone feels is like a battle…being on someone else’s turf, usually outnumbered by a big margin brings some tension, but there is more. How can anyone help but be nervous about confronting people knowing that logic and rational truth will fail with all but a few, and that the group is led on a course that brings needless death every day? We learned there are a hard line few inside every “Shiloh” whose minds are set; that makes us not only their enemy, but enemies of God in their eyes. We know some believe “the only good Arab is a dead Arab,” and will not stop thinking that way no matter what we do.
One such man, Mr., was introduced to me, took the literature to learn more about us, and devoured it. His words were relayed to me later by one of our team members who strangely enough knew this man personally, quoted words to the effect: we had made me even more of a Zionist than he was before. Mr. Q is part of a church inside the church that places Israel’s deeds and needs ahead of Christ’s words. Our mission is to those who choose to hear.
Vigil leader Jerry and your author spoke to Pastor David Kiteley before the vigil. When confronted with my statement that is not sufficient to say and believe that war is evil, as he said he did, if you are at the same time supporting the warmaking State of Israel, Pastor David ended our talk. Pastor Kiteley and his aged mother Violet, who started the church, both wanted me to know they did not approve of America’s warmaking, but withholding approval is as far as it went. When I brought up Israel s daily killing of its Arab neighbors Violet ducked, and Pastor David flushed, turned on his heels, flinging back over his shoulder, “I am not going there”…”you can do whatever you want out there, but stay off our property.”
It is our custom to ATTEMPT to speak with each Pastor before the Vigil but we rarely are allowed to. This short exchange is typical of more radical Christian Zionist church. Shiloh’s bulletin signals its position with several announcements of upcoming events by “SHILOH ISRAEL GROUP”, including a lecture on “Sharing the Truth about Israel” that very day at a nearby Presbyterian Church, and an evening event the same day with “Messianic Jewish singer and musician Marty Goetz” in a neighboring town, a full Sunday for Christian Zionists.
Shiloh church is on the edge of a tough neighborhood in Oakland, CA, with recognizable signs of multiculturalism and community activism. We take issue on the bloody and anti-Christ path of Christian Zionism.
The church sponsors a “settlement” called “Shilo,” built on land taken from the Palestinians in 1978. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has listed Shilo (different spelling) among several settlements scheduled to be returned to the West Bank Arab control. Whether he will keep this promise is doubtful, and you can bet its name sake church will do every thing it can to prevent it.
Jerry, the person in charge of the vigil, wisely chose Shiloh church because it is known to be a hotbed pro-Israel activism, and because it s sponsors the Shilo squatter camp in Israel, euphemistically called a “settlement.”
The big Yellow and Black Strait Gate signs held up in front of the church made our point to almost everyone coming or going at the church:
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
NO MORE WARS FOR ISRAEL
IRAQ? WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do)
CHOOSE LIFE, NOT WAR.
ZIONIST RACISM KILLS PALESTINIANS
APOSTATE CHURCH, Christ Followers Do Not Kill (8’ wide and 4’ high)
Each event has its memorable experiences and vivid lessons in dealing with the sincere and misguided Christians. Jim a soft spoken black man in a white collar who referred to himself as a missionary who stopped to talk to one after another of the vigil team, and finally to me. Jim and I arrived at a quick meeting of the minds that war and killing was bad for everyone. Jim also did not hesitate to agree with me that not one word is to be found in Jesus Christ’s words or in the acts of His followers that would justify killing anyone. I told Jim of my own Gaza Strip observations of Israli administered assassination, viewd daily, and he did not deny or doubt what I said, nor did he deny the bloody-handedness of the US providing the bullets for the assassins.
But Jim is used to teaching and he had a defensive answer ready for me that is commonly used by those who are practiced Christian Zionists:
“Brother, he said, there are evil things being done by both sides, but we must not forget that God is in control…throughout the history of the Old Testament he used war to bring about His chosen results, and God is in charge of every detail in the Middle East today and we must leave it to Him,” or words to that effect.
Jim makes specious argument with great sincerity,and so outrageous in logic as to cause instant paralysis of the tongue. Kindly and loving missionary Jim’s told me his excuse for watching the killing and holding Israel’s coat while they do it is to blame it on God! I told Jim this, but I don’t think I convinced him that what he said was in effect taking God’s name in vain, a violation of one of the Ten Commandments.
I resolved to memorize a personal parable for the next “Jim” who tells me that he supports Israel, but that he has no responsibility for Israel’s acts because God is in control. One needs an answer that will uproot his logic an move him to shame and tears for not restraining the Pit Bull that is eating the underdog, and for blaming the dogfight on God.
Here is what I wish I had told Jim, but did not:
Brother Jim, what would you do if your 17 year-old son brought your family car home with a squad car in hot pursuit; the side of your new SUV was caved in; your son falls on his face when he tries to get out…you pick him off the ground and smell the stench of stale beer on his breath and marijuana smoke on his clothes? Then your bright 17 year-old tells you in a confidant voice:
“Don’t worry Dad, all things work together to bring about God’s eternal plan…the good and the bad, the mistakes and the triumphs are all in His hands. He knows all and he is in control here just as He is in control of the world.” I hope you would not allow your son to get away with it.
We should not allow pastors and missionaries to blame God, for the killing in Gaza, which they smile upon it, enable it, and ignore it. Theirs is the essence of “Taking God’s Name in Vain!”
Toward the Strait Gate
We Hold These Truths https://whtt.org
Project Strait Gate
PO Box 14491
Scottsdale, AZ, 85267
480 947 3329
Reports of vigil events
https://whtt.org/straitgate/index.php?id=14&news=1
