Posted on 06/30/2006 7:20:45 AM PDT by croak
Early in the fall, I visited a high school in Sha’ar HaNegev, not far from Sderot and the Gaza border, to interview some students. A while into the conversation, I asked them two questions. “You’ll be middle aged when Israel’s 100 years old,” I told them. “So tell me. As you imagine the future, what do you dream of? And what are you afraid of?”
These were fifteen highly intelligent, very articulate kids. But interestingly, none of them had anything terribly substantive to say about their dreams. As they sat quietly, trying to think what they could say that might not sound platitudinous, one of the guys spoke up. “Can I tell you,” he asked with a slight hesitation and a cautious glance at his schoolmates, “what I’m afraid of?”
There was a moment of discomfort in the group, and a stifled giggle here and there. Sixteen year old guys, sitting in a group that also includes girls, aren’t supposed to want to talk about what they’re afraid of. But this guy wanted to speak, and within seconds, it was completely silent in the room. Everyone looked at him, and waited.
“I’m afraid,” he said after a pause, “that the future will be just like this.”
(Excerpt) Read more at danielgordis.org ...
Heartbreaking.
Very moving. What a great writer he is, bookmarking that site.
I'd say, however, to the kids - no, it won't always be like this - please read Zechariah 14, Ezekiel 34-39, Isaiah 11, Jeremiah 30-31. One day, sooner than later, His feet will come down on the Mount of Olives, wrong will be made right, His servant David will be king in Jerusalem again, and He will be fully reconciled to His people.
Hosea 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
"The rest of the world thinks we’re looking for a kidnapped soldier, so they don’t really get this massive reaction. The EU’s beginning to express concern. Bombing bridges was OK, but arresting the members of Hamas’ parliament, they think, is a bit over the top. Buzzing Assad’s palace, we’re told, was provocative. Maybe.
The reason they don’t get it is that they think we’re looking for a soldier. But we’re not. We’re looking for Gilad"
The same type of response we should give when one of our kids/soldiers are taken.
This whole situation in killing me, ya'll. I am literally glued to the news and FR. The Palestians, Iraq, Iran, Syria, the list goes on and on. At what point will the good conquer the evil? Day in and day out, no outrage. This is not the world I want my children the inherit. The evil must be stamped out, to hell with being PC. It's depressing and frustrating that these terrorist are breathing the same air as me. Banging my head against the wall repeating, You cannot have diplomacy with people that want you DEAD!!!
Read it all. But be warned it is really, really sad.
When will it end? When the world wakes up and realizes the enemy is Islam.
It will probably not happen in our lifetimes.... if ever.
These people have been fighting each other for thousands of years. The population is very young in that part of the world so most have only known fighting their entire lives. I just hope that with new technology we develop an alternative energy source and we sever all ties with the M.E. once and for all.
Thank you! I had no idea they streamed live, will listen tonight.
There was something about this that reminded me a joke I heard along time ago about a farmer who just won a million dollars in the lottery.
When asked what he would do with his newfound wealth, he replied,
"Just keep farming till it's all gone I guess."
It was supposed to be a joke, a play on the plight of the family farm.
He knew he would never break even on his farm, let alone get ahead.
But he would use what resources he had to keep it going.
Of course, the challenges the boy faces are of far more consequence than the farmer's, but the feelings of resignation to a immovable and forbidding fate struck me in both.
It's going to take more than severing ties to ME. My 15 yr old son has said to me more than once, they raise their children to hate us, they'll always hate us. They are leaving the ME and coming to Europe, American and they are bringing their hate with them. And we try to make nice, lets just give them freedom they'll change. They can never embrace freedom as long as they adhere to that awful Koran. The religion that embraces a homicidal maniac pedophile as their ideal, a culture that treats women worse than we would treat our pets, where the men are so cowardly they hide behind women and children. Think about in the modern world, a family will KILL their daughter over percieved dishonor. A court that would order the rape of the women in the family for the crimes of the men. A religion that thinks nothing of basically selling their young daughters to old men. This is happening all over the world, the common thread is Islam. They are sick.
You are absolutely right about that. Look at the history of Islam -- they NEVER get along with anyone else. Yet, we let them continue to open mosques in our own country so they can preach their hatred against us. Not sure what the answer is. If we complain, we're called racists. Look what has happened in France. Personally, I don't know why a moratorium on ALL immigration from the ME wasn't immediately put into effect following 9/11. Islam is like a disease. As someone said on another thread, "I trust a muslim like I trust a rattlesnake".
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