Antisemitic shooting in Denmark

In many European nations including, Denmark, there have been an alarming increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents. Yesterday there was a shooting at a Copenhagen synagogue during a Bat Mitzvah celebration.  The former Chief Rabbi of Denmark, Bent Lexner speaks of this sad killing of a security guard and the larger context of the Jewish community in Denmark in the following video. One of the things I observed about this video interview is the nervous, distressing voice of Rabbi Lexner. 

   Is this merely "a rare, random act" committed by a fanatic terrorist, or is this something ongoing, picking up momentum, making it impossible for Jews to live freely and safely in Europe? I hope and pray that it is not the latter! May God have mercy upon the Jewish diaspora, and protect them from such evil.  You can also read more about it here.

Ah, there's nothing like a cross-country ski outing

Today I went on my first cross-country ski outing of this winter. It was a beautiful sunshine day, minus eight, no wind, perfect snow conditions, as it had snowed last night a bit. 

   Here's a little about where I went from the website www.trailpeak.com: "Roughly following Stoney Creek there is an excellent set of XC trails right in the middle of Alberta's Blue Collar Heartland. Consisting of multiple, integrated loops in the whole rainbow of colours (Green/Easy, Blue and Black/Difficult)."

  "Built in 1990 for the Alberta Winter Games (probably), it is a completely professional, technical, and wonderful facility."

Now if I could only ski this trail every day, I'd be in great shape! 

Ancient tablets reveal life of Jews in Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon

(Reuters) - A new exhibition of ancient clay tablets discovered in modern-day Iraq is shedding light for the first time on the daily life of Jews exiled to Babylon some 2,500 years ago.

The exhibition is based on more than 100 cuneiform tablets, each no bigger than an adult's palm, that detail transactions and contracts between Judeans driven from, or convinced to move from, Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BC.

Archaeologists got their first chance to see the tablets -- acquired by a wealthy London-based Israeli collector -- barely two years ago. They were blown away. Watch a short video clip and read the whole thing here.

Stories out of China

Yesterday I happened to pick up Coffee News, Vol. 11, No. 5, Feb 2, 2015, while eating lunch. In it, I found these two stories out of China. Both stories got me thinking how many in the Western world stereotype, demonize, and condemn the Chinese communist system. It is true that they need to improve-in some cases drastically!-their human rights record. However, I wonder if the following stories below reflect the more hopeful influence of Christianity in China.

   Story One-Good deeds: A heroine who has been dubbed "Chinese RedBud Woman" has been discovered in China. The unidentified female wears a bright blue mask, along with a black leather outfit. She is becoming popular in Beijing and has been caught on tape doing her good deeds. These deeds include approaching poor elderly people and the homeless to give them food and clothing. So far, no one knows the real identity of the woman who has refused to give her name when asked. Instead, she disappears into the night looking for the next person who needs help.

   Story Two-Rich street cleaner: A wealthy woman in the city of Wuhan in central China wants to give back to society. Youzhen Yu made millions in the real estate industry. She and her husband own a number of apartment properties that they purchased over the years, and instead of living a life of luxury, Yu decided to show her children that one must work hard to earn a living. So, she took a low-paying job with the city. She sweeps the street and cleans garbage cans on a two-mile stretch of a busy road. Her children have followed her example by taking menial jobs so they can learn about the work ethic. 

Martin Luther King Jr's birthday

Today the world and the church universal celebrates the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He practiced, with his life and through his death, what Jesus taught all would-be Christians: to love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. He too is a shining example of the beatitude: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Thank you LORD for the life and witness of Martin Luther King Jr. May Martin's memory be as a blessing to us all.

Freedom of speech vs terrorism

The world was in mourning once again as Islamic jihadist-terrorists attacked a French satirical newspaper. Freedom of speech is one of the basic, foundational values of a democratic society. Tragic as the recent shootings were in Paris-and here I extend my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed by the terrorists-the event gives all of us cause to ponder a difficult, yet necessary question: Are there limits to free speech? If there are, then what are they?

   Here I believe that both Judaism and Christianity are very helpful. Both faith traditions give plenty of room for freedom of speech, doubt, scepticism, questioning, etc. However, this freedom does not allow for character assassination. In both faith traditions, the commandments "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" and "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour" are upheld. In both traditions, it is advised that if one disagrees or is in conflict with, or offended by someone else, it is better to go privately to the offender than to humiliate or insult them in public. 

   For example, if everyone in the world followed Jesus' advice regarding peaceful conflict resolution as it is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter eighteen, then there would be a lot less terrorism and violence.

   As for the ongoing radicalization of Muslims, I believe there is a huge responsibility right now for the imams, the spiritual leaders of Islam to counteract terrorism and violence as well as to condemn it, and do everything possible to prevent it.

   Here I think Muslims and non-Muslims would benefit from reading the following article over at First Things, which is very helpful:

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2015/01/challenging-radical-islam

Happy New Year!

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) A time to wish all of my readers a Happy New Year!