By Charles Gardner —
With the geopolitical and spiritual tectonic plates in the Middle East shaking as never before, are we about to see similar moves in the West, especially in the wake of Donald Trump’s radical reforms? The woke world is on the back foot amid plans for Gaza no-one had dared consider.
But Trump’s dramatic comeback raises the question of the evangelical constituency’s enormous potential to affect changes for the better, reminding us that we Christians are not just here to proclaim the gospel of a heaven to come, but of an earth in which to be salt and light.
And with prayer backed up by action, what an amazing impact we can make! Evangelicals have long been recognised as a key factor in swinging presidential elections, so that even Democrats try to present a pro-Israel persona.
But my big concern is the evangelical factor in the UK. Much smaller and less effective, with even passionate saints among us lacking serious unity. I believe the biggest obstacle is Israel.
Why is it that US evangelicals understand God’s plans for Israel and the Jews while UK evangelicals, on the whole, do not? This is surely why our influence on our nation and its institutions is, frankly, pitiful.
When antisemitism rose up as never before on the streets of London, evangelical Christians (apart from a few brave souls) remained as silent as the German church of the 1930s. We simply failed to stand up and support the Jews in their appalling predicament. We didn’t even pray for them.
We have continued to be silent about the left-wing lies over Israel’s legitimacy and much more. We have not taught the truth about God’s everlasting love for the Jews from our pulpits. So the people in the pews are left to assume the issue is irrelevant to our walk with Christ.
Amidst all this, we elected a largely godless socialist government. Yet ugly scenes of antisemitism also broke out on American soil where there was plenty of support for the Palestinian cause. But they elected a right-wing Republican President.
The wokerati were outnumbered and outmaneuvered by pro-Israel Christians and their supporters who had grown sick and tired of the foolish campaigns in favor of marginalized, often weird and immoral causes.
It surely comes down to the blessings and curses God has promised for those who either love or hate the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:3, Numbers 24:9). UK evangelicals seem happy to accept the blessings, but not the curses. It’s as if they simply do not see it written there: “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.”
By remaining indifferent to Israel’s fate, are we not actually cursing them? Was it this attitude that contributed to our nation’s betrayal of the Jewish people during and immediately after World War II?
(I have noted how Dietrich Bonhoefer and Corrie ten Boom are flagged up in some Christian literature as examples of believers who have been persecuted for their faith, yet without reminding readers why they were persecuted, i.e. because they stood up to the Nazis in support of the Jews!)
In writing recently of the HaBricha movement, established 80 years ago to help Holocaust survivors escape post-war Europe, I reminded readers of Britain’s shameful role in preventing them from reaching Palestine, as it was then known.
According to my sources, it basically amounted to a misunderstanding of the Jewish determination to find a safe haven in their ancient homeland.
And it is this misunderstanding that is perhaps a clue as to why there is such a gulf between evangelical support for Israel on either side of the Atlantic. It is poignantly reflected in what has come to be known as the ‘American songbook’ of great musicals largely composed by Jews.
Just take one example: “There’s a place for us, somewhere a place for us, peace and quiet and open air, wait for us somewhere…” a beautiful song from West Side Story which expresses a longing to be free of conflict and division. Sure, the story was adapted for New York gangs in a modern version of Romeo and Juliet. But Jewish composers Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim knew all about the yearning for a safe place on this earth which their parents had found in America.
When things got rough for them, America opened their hearts and land to Jews escaping the pogroms whereas we in Britain were much less welcoming. I fear we are somewhat under a curse as a result.
