Is Antisemitism a threat to the survival of our nation? How should you pray?
PRAY FIRST that God would turn the hearts of Americans toward loving His Chosen People.
As a Christian, why does this matter to you?
“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” Jesus spoke those words in Mark 3:23-24. In John 10, the Lord also reminded his followers that Satan is a thief who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. In those endeavors, creating division is a way the enemy can use people to accomplish his evil purposes—beginning with dividing them over matters of truth and error.
What is Truth? Antisemitism divides America.
The Apostle Paul reminds you in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Faith in Christ is the equalizer, the unifier, the leveler.
When God looks upon His people of faith, He does not see Asian, Latin American, European, African or other ethnicities. He does not see what belief they may have come from: Hindu, Muslim, Jew, Anglican, or no faith at all. He sees His children as blood-bought children of His kingdom. And He wants you to see through that same lens.
In July 1776, a committee of American’s founders declared that the motto for the United States should be “e pluribus unum,” literally, “out of many, one.” It took a number of years for the nation to adopt an official seal, but when it did, those words were inscribed on the scroll held in the beak of a bald eagle.
October 7 set off a firestorm of hate.
The anti-Jew, anti-Israel movement is increasing in its virulence as it rolls across America, from college campuses to grade schools, to city halls, and communities at large.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City reports that graffiti has appeared in a subway station messaging, “Kill the Jews,” and other more obscene messages. A man also allegedly assaulted a woman on a subway platform, saying the reason was because “you are Jewish.”
A cautionary message on social media said, “No, this is not Germany 1939 but NYC 2023.”
Protests have encompassed many communities nationwide, from Washington to New York, Chicago to Los Angeles. Many protests call for a ceasefire in the fighting, with some in support of the Palestinian people and Hamas who govern them.
Thousands converged on Washington, D.C., to protest the support of Israel and its military campaign being sown by the president’s administration. Many wore black and white keffiyehs, waving Palestinian flags and chanting, “Palestine will be free.”
Pro-Palestinian activists even defaced the gates to the White House with graffiti and red paint handprints across the bricks. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department said, “At the time, demonstrators attempting to vandalize and trespass at the vehicle gate were addressed without incident by our Uniformed Division officers and support teams.” Only one arrest was made.
A Palestinian flag was even draped around a statue of Benjamin Franklin.
In another incident, police in riot gear clashed outside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington as protesters, wearing shirts saying “Cease Fire Now,” linked arms. Six police officers were treated for injuries ranging from cuts, being punched, or being pepper sprayed. One arrest was made.
The issue comes to Congress.
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri submitted a resolution condemning pro-Hamas protests on college campuses, but Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland blocked his resolution. Senator Van Hollen said, “What you are doing here is smearing all of the students who engage in these protests.” He suggested that some of the student groups may have “legitimate concerns about the loss of innocent civilian life in Gaza.”
Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the only Palestinian American in Congress, joined the chants in a call for the complete annihilation of Israel. The House has since censured her for her comments but she continues to attend pro-Palestinian rallies.
On November 3, the House of Representatives, in a 395-23 vote, approved a resolution condemning antisemitism and the support for Islamist terror organizations on college campuses. A similar measure was passed by the Senate by a voice vote.
The American public and churches are divided.
A week before Thanksgiving, nearly 300,000 people rallied on the Mall in Washington for a March for Israel, calling for the terrorists to release hostages held in Gaza while invoking the Holocaust slogan “Never Again.”
Ninety prominent pastors and other leaders, citing a “just war,” issued “An Evangelical Statement in Support of Israel.” Yet, they had their detractors. A commentary writer with MSNBC said, “at the heart of Christian Zionism is not a love for Israel but rather Christian nationalism,” suggesting Christians were hoping for the “war that would end all wars” and bring about a return of Jesus.
By May 2021, according to the Pew Research Center, three-quarters of the Jews in America thought antisemitism was greater in the U.S. than it had been five years prior.
In March this year, CNN said, “as antisemitism grows, so does its dangers to everyone.” Be educated, be aware, know where the money is really going when you support various organizations.
During times of national trial and unrest, antisemitism rises as well. It is hard to ignore the connection between the two. The spiritual enemy sows hatred, division, and chaos in order that the “kingdom is divided against itself.”
HOW THEN SHOULD WE PRAY:
— Pray for a reaffirmation in your own heart to see people as God sees them, and to work for unity, especially within the body of Christ. “For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
— Pray about your own attitudes toward the Jewish people. The Bible instructs those who would be blessed to bless the people of Israel. “I will bless those who bless you, and him who destroys you, I will curse” (Genesis 1:23).
— Pray for God to continue to reveal Himself to His chosen people. “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 14:2).
CONSIDER THESE ITEMS FOR PRAYER:
- Pray for God to draw Americans’ hearts toward loving His People.
- Pray for the nation’s educators to seek God’s will as they raise up young people in universities and colleges.
- Pray for God’s hand of protection to be on Jewish students who are fearful and sense they are being persecuted.
- Pray that America will seek to be a nation that honors the Lord in values and actions.
- Pray for Christian ministries that focus on bringing the message of Messiah Jesus to the Jewish people.
Sources: Fox News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, AP News, The Hill, Politico, Newsmax, The Anti-Defamation League, The Gateway Pundit, Rueters, CBS News, MSNBC, Pew Research, Times of Israel, New York Post
