text:
A taste of live music on the streets of Jerusalem.
Experience the styles, views, scenes and seasons.
I took these videos over the last 18 months at random.
I might make more such compilations so please provide feedback.
A taste of live music on the streets of Jerusalem.
Experience the styles, views, scenes and seasons.
I took these videos over the last 18 months at random.
I might make more such compilations so please provide feedback.
It started when a friend of mine quoted JFK on her Facebook page:
"Compromise does not mean cowardice. Indeed it is frequently the compromisers and conciliators who are faced with the severest tests of political courage as they oppose the extremist views of their constituents." An apposite JFK quote Israelis & Palestinians should reflect upon… She wrote.
I commented that as far as I knew, there isn't a word for "compromise" in the Arabic language, hinting that both she and JFK did not take into account how different cultures perceive the concept of compromise, and that this added complication needs to be recognized.
As you might imagine, that Facebook post developed into quite an interesting thread where dictionaries were thrown around (electronically) along with the occasional insult.
Here's a quick summary of the words that were suggested to me, which offer a window into the culture:
- Mediation, as in the process of mediation, but mere mediation between rivals does not imply advocating any "compromise".
Sulh (Sul7)
- Reconciliation, repair, as in fixing damaged relations, but two sides forgiving each other does not imply they made any "compromise".
Hasm (7asm)
- To settle a dispute, in the sense that it is brought to conclusion, it's a sealed deal, a closed issue, but does not imply "compromise".
رخص في
Rakhs fi
- Give a discount…
- Capitulation, condescend, stoop…
Ta'awid (Ta3wid)
- Compensation, amendment, apologizing…
To me, none of these words capture the essence of making a compromise, which is when both sides of a dispute lower their demands in such a way that they are sufficiently satisfied with what each of them get in return for what each of them agree to give.
You might find it offensive, but I wonder why an exact translation for the concept of "compromise" is so hard to find and what implications it has on the idea of conflict resolution in the Middle-East (not only in relation to Israel, but in general).
I found it especially interesting when many native Arabic speakers I turned to for assistance asked me for clarifications such as asking me to use the word in a sentence.
On a more positive note, there was one suggestion that just about fits the bill. It was offered by many people, including one etymologist whose sensitivity to subtleties in translating words is usually astonishing:
حل وسط
Hal Wasat (7al wasat)
- "middle solution"
Pressing the issue further, I asked my etymologist friend for a verb in Arabic which means "to compromise", as opposed to "a compromise", to which he answered:
وصول على حل وسط
Wusul ala hal wasat
- to reach a "middle solution"
So, though it's not exactly a simple verb but rather a compilation of four terms, it provides the concept of reaching a compromise in Arabic, which is what I set out to find.
I leave it to you to discover how frequently this term, "to reach a middle solution", is currently being used, in the context of political conflicts, in public statements, in Arab media, in public discourse etc.
I was late for their show in the Muslim quarter but I later caught up with the band in a Jerusalem bar called Uganda.
Their FaceBook page reads: "AUTOSTRAD is a Jordanian Indie band formed in 2007… Rated as one of the top 5 bands in the region, Autostrad invests in the diversity of its members and the regions richness to produce music that goes beyond language, identity, and barriers."
Indeed, their appearance in Israel went beyond barriers, as the latest controversy surrounding their tour shows. Obviously, many of their fans didn't appreciate the fact that the band decided to get visas issued through the Israeli consulate in Amman, a process which gives recognition to the official state of Israel.
From talking to some of the band members and managerial staff I learnt something about their reasoning. For some of them, music is their life's cause, no matter the audience. For others, bringing Arab culture to Arabs in Israel and the West-Bank is more important than not recognizing Israel in the visa application process. From the managerial point of view, they won more and better fans than the ones they lost.
As it turns out, the band has played in Israel 3-4 times in the past, visiting various mixed cities such as Jaffa, Haifa, Jerusalem, as well as predominantly Arab towns and cities such as Nazareth and Magdel-Shams. It appears, however, that growing attention is given nowadays to the issue of normalization with Israel, hence the controversy.
From our conversations it became apparent that no recognition of Israel was given by the band. Land conquered in 1967 was considered occupied, naturally, but so was land held by Israel since 1948!
Why should '48 Arabs, citizens of Israel, not get to see Autostrad on stage while '67 Palestinians can attend a performance by them in major West-Bank cities, they ask.
So, while they were obviously careful not to recognize Israel in any way, they did express support of the idea of having cultural exchange between international groups and Arabs within the '48 borders. They would also not keep non-Palestinians out of their concert halls. Thus, Arab culture may spread and develop, without having to recognize Israel in the process. The visa thing, if you ask them, can be regarded as a nasty technical necessity. In fact, they violated the conditions of their visas when they played multiple West-Bank cities on a visa that allows them access to Israel only.
So much for recognition of Israel's authority…
Putting the emotional aspect aside, I must say I was pleased. With their line of thought, more bands, artists and academics from across the Arab and Muslim world could enter Israel. More cultural and intellectual exchange would benefit Israeli-Arabs and any non-Palestinian who may be interested in the event. All of this could go on without having to give recognition to the state, or without addressing the issue.
Whether this cultural and intellectual exchange will be good or bad for Israel, time will tell. It is sufficient to say it will benefit those who take part in it, local and international Arabs and Muslims. Further cultural development might draw non-Palestinians towards them, further influencing the exchange, making the eventual outcome even harder to predict. I am all for it. Everyone has something to gain from any exchange, especially if it is self-driven and conducted freely.
At some point a Haredi friend of mine joined the conversation. He was performing at a Klezmer concert in Me'a She'arim (Haredi part of town) so he also missed their show (Muslim part of town). Fortunately, he could converse in basic Arabic with them so they were able to bridge the Haredi-Muslim divide rather quickly.
Interestingly, my Haredi friend started explaining the connection between Klezmer music and Druze melodies, singing a few tunes for Autostrad for illustration purposes. As it turns out, Eastern European Jews used to visit the grave of Rabi Shimon Bar-Yohai at Mount Meron in the Galillee on their annual Lag Ba'omer festivities. There they would meet local Arabs and Druze who also held the site to be holy. They would all play their instruments and sing together. Thus the Nigunim (tunes) of Mount Meiron carry within its repertoire some resemblance to Druze music, and even preserves the Arabic names of some tunes (Mustafa, Yazin).
One of the band players took it very seriously and promised to look up Klezmer music. He asked me to write down and translate the meaning of Klezmer for him. "Kle" - "Zemer" means "tools" (of) "song and music". He was quick to point out that "Zimr" in Arabic was the same as "Zemer" in Hebrew.
So there you go. Without giving recognition to the state of Israel, the band Autostrad was able to fulfill its mission of spreading current Arab culture to "occupied Palestinians" across the country. Me and other Israelis were exposed to them along the process. We had ourselves a bit of cultural and linguistic exchange, uncovering some of the common grounds of our musical roots and vocabulary.
And though I am less than thrilled about the whole issue of not giving recognition to Israel and the whole anti-normalization trend, I am happy to know some people can go beyond that, for the sake of promoting culture, knowledge and understanding.
Thank you Shira Rubin and Mutasem for introducing me to the band and their story.
Meet Votim Demiri, president of the Jewish community of Kosovo. That's his daughter Ines and grandchild Leah.
This picture was taken at their house in Prizren.
The neighboring house behind us is a Tekke, a small mosque without a minaret. This particular Tekke belongs to a Shia sect sponsored by Iran. It represents an influx of various sects into Kosovo.
To the left of the picture is a regular mosque with a minaret and loud speakers.
Just down the road is are more churches and mosques.
Votim calls Prizren a small Jerusalem for this reason.
There are 56 Jews in the local Jewish community. They are small but well connected to other Balkan communities, Israeli embassies (none in Kosovo), and relatives in Israel.
Kosovo Jews are XV century Sephardim. 258 of them were expelled to Bergen Belsen in 1943. German NATO forces currently secure Prizren. Votim finds it ironic.
Recently, they unveiled a plaque in the capital city of Prishtina, commemorating the 258 that were expelled and the 92 who died. The plaque stands where a synagogue used to be. Today it's the parliament ground. Ironic once again, says Votim.
Serbian forces held the city in the last war. NATO was bombing all around. For 78 days people stayed in their houses. Immediately after liberation, the Joint (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) showed up with humanitarian relief. The Joint invested in Prizren during 2000-2005. Among other things, the Joint funded repairs to one of the city mosques.
Shameful nauseating list of 104 Palestinian prisoners, on Jpost.
Demonstration today against releasing those 104 prisoners, here.
Demonstration today in support of resuming peace negotiations, here.
What I want to know is how Palestinians feel about those bloody prisoners, and about peace talks with Israel.
Any enthusiasm for peace over there?
Is it the same enthusiasm as in Israel?
The Muslim Jewish Conference (MJC) is an NGO which holds annual conferences. This July I was one of 100 Muslims and Jews from 39 countries to take part in it.
I went to Sarajevo with no particular expectations, in fact I passed on the opportunity to be at MJC 2012 in Bratislava when I decided not to apply. I had an issue with the name of the NGO…
The name MJC hints that Jews and Muslims are equivalent. On their website, MJC talks about providing an interfaith platform. Well, I frequently argue that Jews are not a religious group comparable to Muslims. I felt that any conference that ignores this difference sets itself in the wrong direction from the get go.
Then, some people I respect came back from Bratislava and told me to get a grip on myself, that it's a chance to meet Jews and Muslims from all over the world, that I should just apply, so I did.
The first thing I noticed at MJC was that I couldn't tell who was Jewish and who was Muslim. In Israel it's much more easy, but in Sarajevo I came face to face with people from societies I usually don't have contact with so my instincts didn't apply so well.
The second thing to notice was that Muslims from different countries and cultural backgrounds think very differently about various issues, related or unrelated to religion. My experience with Muslim Arab Palestinians is different. Here I usually find that people hold on to similar notions, and rarely break lines with the rest.
The immediate question which comes to mind, recalling that people's attitudes differ from country to country, was whether or not there was a conflict between Muslims and Jews at all.
Creating an NGO called MJC hints that there is a conflict, and including a committee for "Conflict Transformation" at MJC hints the same, but organizers and participants found it difficult to point to any obvious conflict between Jews and Muslims per se.
If there is a conflict to treat, we should be able to point it out. Here's how I see the conflict:
Here we are together at the site of the Srebrenica massacre
First, it's very important to point out that Jews are not a religious group, because if other people don't get that, then they won't address Jews, or interpret Jews, or interact with Jews properly.
For example, at MJC so many Muslims asked me so many questions about Judaism that I just had to tell them I was atheist. The Bible doesn't define my Jewish identity nor the way I live my life. Their whole approach to me was misguided. I felt we had to go back to basics just to continue talking.
Second, it's important to understand that Judaism as a "religion" differs from Islam as a religion in that Judaism is for the Jews and Islam is for everyone… Islam is a religion and it aims to spread to all nations. Judaism is not a religion and it aims to stay particular to the Jewish people.
The result is what you'd expect with 23% of the world's population being Muslim and 0.23% Jewish. That's about 1.6 billion Muslims and 16 million Jews, give or take.
So, if Jews are so few, and if their "religion" is only for them, is there a conflict from the Muslim perspective?
I read many parts of the Quran, and I recommend you do the same. Some parts view Jews favorably, some parts don't. On the whole I found it disturbing, but see for yourself. Gladly, I found that many Muslims at MJC were more familiar with the positive quotes in the Quran and less familiar with the negative ones (which apprehensive Jews like myself are better familiar with).
This relates back to how people from different societies behave differently, as mentioned above. I don't suppose it is religion itself which dictates social norms and attitudes, because then more Muslims would think more along the same lines. I suppose it is the society which shapes its own social norms and attitudes, as it is the same society which later interprets religious texts according to its taste and needs.
The most important lesson I derive from this is that the Bible and the Quran are misleading. They are misleading because people assume these texts guide us, when in fact they don't. The Muslims and Jews I met at MJC resembled their home communities more than they resembled each other. It was easier to place them based on their country of origin rather than on the basis of their faith (or lack of faith).
So, if there is a conflict between some Jews and some Muslims, I would suggest not to tag it as a religious conflict right away. Perhaps the conflict is between their societies, and religion just covers that up.
It is an important distinction to make, because if the conflict is not based on religion, then interfaith dialogue is not the cure for it.
Not that there's anything wrong with dialogue…
Picture from Bosniak President Bakir Izetbegovic's FB page
I heard about a Jordanian on CouchSurfing who was inviting Israelis to meet over a cup of coffee. I didn't make it to that meeting a year ago, but last week I ended up hosting him in Jerusalem!
Yahya (Yan) Barakat Ababneh is a freelance journalist, Arabic tutor, tourist guide and stage actor. He covered events in Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Libya. His stories appeared on Amman Net, Saraya News, Gerasa News and elsewhere.
Arriving on a Friday evening meant I had the chance to expose Yan to some Jewish traditions. I took Yan over to where my not-so-religious friends were having a shabbat meal. We performed some Shabbat rituals, extra nicely I should say, blessing over the wine, the bread, the washing of the hands, and finally eating!
Conversation went from Jewish traditions to secularism and religion in Israeli society. We discussed Islam in comparison with Judaism, Israeli society versus Arab society, the disappearance of Hebrew tribes and the persistence of Arab tribalism, modernity and how it fits together with these social structures, where democracy and liberties fit in the picture, how Jews and Arabs see each-other, the meaning of peace treaties during an Arab Spring and the likelihood that anything will hold…
Having so many observations to share, Yan happily agreed to let me organize a living-room conference for more Q&A with Israelis.
On a one-day's notice, my living-room filled up with over 20 guests: left and right-wingers, secular and religious, journalists, activists, lawyers, educators, social leaders, interns, students, sabras, new immigrants, and some folks I don't really know.
Yan was introducing us to "[his] Jordanian street". He was trying to paint a picture that was hard for some Israelis in the room to accept:
"If he is right about what he says, it is terrible!" one said in Hebrew to the person sitting next to him. Indeed, the Israelis' reactions was no less interesting than the main speaker…
Putting the finger on the pain, honesty despite embarrassment
Yan came for a serious discussion, and that meant being honest about embarrassing issues. In Arabic they say you should put your finger on the pain.
Starting with indicators of danger, Yan explained how Jordan border control will change your license plates as you drive your car in from Israel. If you stand out too much as Jewish or Israeli, you might be escorted around. These security measures imply danger for Israelis visiting Jordan.
In theater, where Yan has much experience, the villain usually carries Jewish markers, particularly the Payot (sidelocks). Such symbols are associated with evil, as the villain is not necessarily Jewish. The same goes for caricatures in mainstream newspapers.
In police records, you may find numerous cases of people who call each-other "a Jew" in an argument, which will often result in violence.
Q: Antisemitism, and hatred towards Israel, does it stem more from Islam or from the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians? Will hatred go away once we strike a peace deal or is it more culturally ingrained?
In the Quran, Yan says, there are convenient quotes which are used to show Islam as a religion of peace. They pertain to calmer times when Mohammad was in Mecca. There are many more nasty quotes pertaining to later times when Mohammad was in Medina. Both are part of Islam. Both should not be ignored.
Distancing himself from religion, Yan recited some of the things you might hear a Jordanian Imam say to worshipers. These are not easy things for Jews to hear, stuff about earthquakes under their feet, rocks and trees turning on them, women becoming widows, children becoming orphans, "amen amen amen" chant the worshipers.
This sort of antisemitism stems more from religion and general society. People are less concerned with the conflict and more concerned with the economy. This sort of hatred is based on ignorance, and can be treated with education.
Q: What about people who are not religious? Can they break away from such negative sentiments towards Jews?
In the schools, Yan says, again you'll find that Jews are blamed for killing prophets, robing lands, spreading evil.
Also in the family home, there is a lot of pressure to align with the tribe. This, in addition to rigidity in schools and mosques, makes open-minded flexibility all the more difficult to exercise, and the sort of ignorance that results from it is prevailing.
Before coming to Israel, some of Yan's relatives were furious with him. One was urging him to talk to the intelligence service first, another told him to hide the fact he was Jordanian, yet some took it rather well despite them being Islamist!
Q: I've been a tour guide for Israelis in Jordan for 16 years. What you are telling us cannot be. I have not witnessed any of it.
There are weekly protests in front of the Israeli embassy in Jordan. 20 out of 32 journalists left the conference room just before the Israeli president addressed those present, recently in Amman. A visit by an Israeli professor sparked a spontaneous student protest within minutes of his arrival.
These are daily events which you might miss if you don't speak the language, don't understand the Imams, don't read the news, don't bother to visit East Amman, and don't deal with people outside the tourism industry, says Yan.
I spent 3 weeks traveling in Jordan (Feb 2011). Most people were taken aback when I mentioned my nationality. Most then quickly recovered and said "It's OK, don't worry, we have peace now… but don't tell others what you just told me!".
Q: We know to expect this sentiment from Palestinians in Jordan (which constitute the majority), but you are telling us this is a general trend. What's the king's role in all of this?
This is certainly not unique to Palestinians, or to Jordanians, Yan promises. In Middle-East politics, anyone can accuse anyone else of associating with Jews, being a Mosad agent, or being of Jewish descent. Syrian president Assad, for example, accuses the rebels, and they accuse him, of exactly that. Politicians who disagrees with some decision often come out and say it was promoted by Israel, as if Israel is puling all the strings around the Arab world and everywhere else.
King Abdallah of Jordan does not speak Arabic well, did not grow up in Jordan, does not understand the religion and does not consult with the tribes like his father Hussein did before him. Support for Abdallah depends mostly on which tribe you belong to, same as your other political views and religion depend on your tribal identity. There can be no democracy when all vote according to which tribe they belong to. Tribe leaders have this much influence over the parliament. The king has to consider this when he appoints officials, and he cannot navigate well if he doesn't have "Arab smarts", as Yan puts it.
Q: If there is peace on paper only and a king who threatens to resign, should Israelis be more concerned with what Arab politicians do or how the Arab street reacts?
There is no democracy in Jordan or anywhere in the Arab world, but the street still rules, not the politicians. A politician, a king, or a president will find it extremely difficult to break lines with how the public thinks. With so much influence in the hands of religious leaders and tribal leaders, there is only so much you can do.
Peace treaties with Egyptian president Sa'adat and Jordanian King Hussein immediately spring to mind, but the whole purpose of Yan's visit to Israel was to tell Israelis it wasn't so. Peace on paper is not good enough, Yan says. You Israelis are not safe in Cairo and Amman. We should be looking for something entirely different.
Q: How do you find Israel so far?
Sure, you may have radicals here too, but in a bar in Jerusalem (Uganda) I could talked with a Haredi Jew and East Jerusalem Arabs at the same time, I met with Arab students and professors in Israeli universities, all had their own criticism yet all live together, without being separated, and without killing each other.
So what can we do to improve the situation, and avoid catastrophe in the future?
This was Yan's original question for Israelis on his visit to Israel. Should we organize soccer matches? Yan doesn't like soccer at all but he believes this will draw the sort of criticism that will eventually die out. As people get used to these soccer matches, new doors will be open to them.
My own experience in peace activism has made me somewhat skeptical. I don't presume that deeply rooted issues can be so easily washed away. Social change should be driven with the same intensity as others promote ignorance and hatred. In-fact, more intensity is necessary since building trust and understanding takes much more energy than killing it.
Here is what I suggest
Lets take some inspiration from Yan. Here is a man who was not afraid to report from Syria, and got beaten up both by Assad supporters and by rebels, each side accusing him of supporting the other camp.
By coming to Israel to talk to Israelis Yan was again taking risks. His career in journalism, theater connections, respect from family and friends, even his personal safety may be at risk after publishing his reports.
This is inspiring to me, because here we have a situation where two societies obviously suffer from ignorance and lack of trust. With one visit, Yan showed us what can be done to remove these two elements.
Project Tiyul-Rihla as an example
In project Tiyul-Rihla we do the same. With a mixed group of Israelis and Palestinians we discuss history to discover our own ignorance towards each-other. Embarrassing as it is, it allows us to put our finger on the pain.
And it takes guts. Both sides feel they abandon safety when they cross the 1967 lines on the trip. Some of our participants indicate they anticipate harsh criticism from their own communities. Some even choose to lie to their family about where they are going.
We take these risks because we are trying to promote change. I am afraid risk is necessary, due to prevailing ignorance and fear between Israelis and Palestinians.
I am happy, and proud to say I see this guts in my Israeli and Palestinian partners on Tiyul-Rihla. By now we also have partners with guts in Jordan!
We do it. Yan is doing it. You are welcome to do it too.
Today Yan's report of his visit to Israel was published on Jpost.
I wouldn't have been writing this post if it wasn't for a remarkable coincidence.
While hiking in the Galilee recently, in the Northern part of Israel, a girl in my group mentioned her wish to write the story of her grandmother, a Dutch holocaust survivor. Strangely enough, her grandmother and my late grandmother shared a very similar, and very special story.
My grandmother, Hana Fischhendler, was born in Germany to a Polish family. When Hitler came to power the family moved to the Netherlands, illegally, and found shelter with the Jewish community there. Hana became a nurse, a dietitian. She also worked in the orphanage, where she looked after the man who would later become my grandfather, Shlomo.
Shlomo Nuñes-Nabarro was born to a family of Anusim, Spanish Jews who were pushed out and forced to convert to Catholicism in Portugal during the inquisition. The Anusim kept their Jewish traditions in secret, which is why their children were also forced to convert. Some 200 years later, some of these Anusim left Portugal and moved to the Netherlands where they went back to being openly Jewish. Shlomo belonged to this Spanish-Portuguese community.
In 1940, Shlomo the soldier was released from German captivity and returned to the occupied Netherlands. He married Hana during the Nazi occupation. The yellow star on their clothes is clearly visible in their wedding picture.
My Opa and Oma (Dutch for grandfather, grandmother)
Luckily for the both of them, Shlomo was holding on to documents indicating his father was born in England. With the help of the neutral Swiss embassy in the occupied Netherlands both Shlomo and Hana obtained British documents. This made them more valuable to the Nazis, who sometimes exchanged foreign nationals in return for German captives. Hana's four sisters, in comparison, had no such documents, and were sent to death in Sobibor straight away.
In 1943 Shlomo and Hana were sent to Westerbork, a transit camp close to the German border, from which trains were leaving for Auschwitz weekly. Instead of death, Shlomo and Hana were sent to Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp where other "privileged" foreign nationals were held, in northern Germany.
One day, while Shlomo was lying in the clinic of the camp suffering from Polio and Typhus, and with Hana nursing him there, those "privileged" prisoners disappeared from the camp, sent away to death camps in the east.
Shortly after that, only a few days before Bergen-Belsen was liberated, Shlomo and Hana were put on the train east, headed for Auschwitz*.
Moving east through Germany, the train would occasionally come dangerously close to the Russian front. In areas of heavy shelling, the train would turn back west, and then try pushing east again. Going back and forth between two closing fronts lasted some 12 days before the driver finally stopped receiving regular commands and abandoned the train in Tröbitz, in the eastern part of Germany.
On the morning of April 22, almost exactly sixty-eight years ago, Russian soldiers opened the doors of the train and found an estimated 2,500 Jews inside, minus 600 who died in transit.
The German residents of Tröbitz were evacuated by the Russians and Jews from the train were allowed to use their houses. They found much food stocked in the various cellars, but malnourished as they were, many of them could not digest the foods they consumed and died a horribly painful death. My grandmother, Hana, who was a dietitian, probably knew better, and was able to nurse herself and my grandfather back to health.
My new friend from the hike in the Galilee had a Dutch grandmother, also with British documents, and she went through the same sequence of camps as my grandmother did. Her grandmother, who was only ten years old at the time, tells a remarkable story of a very long train ride that never reached its destination, but was intercepted by Russians.
The thought of freely enjoying the green Galilee, walking alongside the granddaughter of a little girl who somehow survived the same camps and the same train that I associate with my grandparents is moving to me.
After the war, Hana and Shlomo returned to Amsterdam. Shlomo, who knew the Sepharadi community traditions well and the special Hebrew intonation of it's prayer became the Hazan (cantor) of the famous Portuguese synagogue of Amsterdam. They had three children, Devorah, Rivka (my mother) and David.
*While writing this post I was corresponding with my mom in the kibbutz and my uncle in Amsterdam, checking some of the details above. I noticed that Auschwitz was liberated in January 1945 while the train left Bergen-Belsen later in April. It could not have been going to Auschwitz.
This link on The Lost Train: Bergen-Belsen to Tröbitz tells the same story as above but mentions Theresienstadt as the train's destination. This makes much better sense.
I assume people on the train were either not aware that Auschwitz was already liberated, or maybe they didn't care where they were going. They realized they were being sent to their death, and "Auschwitz" was synonymous with "death". In that sense, they were on "the last train to Auschwitz".
I made a few observations this Passover.
A few of us were hiking overnight the day before Passover, from Arad to Masada, with the idea of returning home exhausted and then napping before the traditional family dinner, which is typically very heavy and very long.
One of the usual topics of conversation just before the holiday is "are you going home for the Seder?" (the Passover ceremonial meal). Us secular Jews, it seems, also feel the need to be home with the family. New immigrants to Israel would fly across the ocean to reunite with their parents. You might say it's the same reaction people have before Christmas, but the question is why Passover, as opposed to other big Jewish holidays.
A Jew might say that Passover is just the biggest, but why is it the biggest?
Another observation that came up in conversation and may lend us a clue is the observance of Yom Kippur, a day of fasting in the Hebrew calendar. It is my impression that secular Jews often turn religious just for this one day of the year. Why?
Well, I visited the Samaritan community a few times in recent years, including on Passover Eve. They are super religious about this day, and in general. One of the things they say about Passover is that if you are Samaritan, you simply cannot miss it. That is why they stayed by their temple in Nablus over the millennia while Jews were making all sorts of adjustments to their religious observance as a scattered nation in diaspora.
My theory is that Jews used to be more like the Samaritans. You simply had to be there for the animal sacrifice of Passover. After the Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed the sacrifice ceased but you still had to be there!
The question remains, what purpose does the Seder maintain today?
Taking a closer look at the Hagada, which we read during the Seder meal on Passover Eve, we see it emphasizes, repeatedly, the defining moments of the Jewish story (not to say history). On top of that, the Hagada emphasizes, repeatedly, the importance of passing this story on to the next generation. The Hagada itself is the vessel which encapsulates the code that keeps Jews holding on to their identity and their family (community).
As for you Kippur, the fast relates to an important religious concept of atonement of sins. If you think of the popularity of Jesus you'll see why Yom Kippur is so central to Judaism; your sins are erased, in a way.
OK, but why should secular Jews care?
Well, Yom Kippur is so central in the Jewish calendar that it became a marker. You are expected to take part in it, much like you are expected home for Passover. If you don't, then you crossed the marker, and people will notice. On Yom Kippur, if you don't fast and you do it in public, you'd feel out of place. If you drive your car, you might feel weird doing it, since you'll find yourself alone on the highway (I'm talking about Israel now). So even though you are secular, you'll be more inclined to play along and respect the tradition, in public, and some secular people will take it a step further and actually fast.
Why do I call it a marker? Because it marks you as Jewish. Don't do it and you might feel "out" of the tribe. It's silly, I know, and you won't feel it everywhere you go, but the observation still stands - there are traditions we keep because they helps us feel our Jewish connection, to our family, to our community and to our history (add faith if you are religious).
The main idea presented here is that costumes and rituals can assist in maintaining an identity, and in this case, the costumes bind you to stick with your folk, physically. Built into these holidays is the idea of finding a Jewish community to observe the rituals with. And please don't get me wrong; being Jewish is not about keeping those rituals or what's left of them if you happen to be secular. Being Jewish is more about the essence, which is to stick with your folk and remember who you are.
The other values and ideas which are promoted vis a vis these rituals and texts, I feel, may help to characterize Jewish thought and way of life, but they are of secondary importance. You can take them, if you are religious or if you find them humanistic or universal, and you can leave them, if you are secular and you have better ideas of your own, but at least you are there, with your folk, during the Seder, to go over them once more. This alone already makes you Jewish, and you are free to do whatever you want with it.


text:
Rest, quiet, and time to regain focus and see the forest for the trees are good choices. Easier said than done, right?
- May 09, 2014 |
Why not make the most of nature's cycles by setting aside a special day of learning every three months?
- May 02, 2014 |
In my interaction with a group of homeschooled kids, it's clear they have not been shorted in any way education-wise.
- April 25, 2014 |
When cloudy weather strikes your homeschool domicile, how do you snap out of the slump?
- April 18, 2014 |
Here in South Africa we cannot imagine a lifestyle where children are not outdoors most of the time. What about your kids?
- April 11, 2014 |
Spring cleaning is very important because a home reflects, in part, the state of the family. Is your home clean and orderly?
- April 04, 2014 |
Patience is a virtue much to be aspired to. But it is also a direct result of faith...
- March 28, 2014 |
Divorce, death, and deployment are facts of life, but they shouldn't mean the end of homeschooling.
- March 20, 2014 |
If you're a homeschool family, you are likely well aware of the court battle involving the Romeike family.
- March 14, 2014 |
As homeschoolers, we are always tempted to wonder whether we measure up to "real teachers."
- March 07, 2014 |
Here are a few good tips and suggestions that will make your homeschooling experience more fun and hassle-free.
- February 28, 2014 |
The basics of freezer cooking are very simple: choose foods that freeze well and store them properly.
- February 21, 2014 |
One of the most attractive aspects of homeschooling is the ability to spend time together reading.
- February 14, 2014 |
It's that time of year on the school calendar. You're "in between" in the dead of winter—with no end in sight.
- February 07, 2014 |
Our finances are just too tight to get by on one income anymore, how in the world can I work AND homeschool my children?
- January 31, 2014 |
I remember finding out that I was going to be a mother for the first time. I was unmarried, alone, helpless, embarrassed, and frightened.
- January 24, 2014 |
The butterfly hung there a long time. We decided to make sure it could fly to freedom when it decided to let go of that twig, so David took the twig out to the patio and laid it on the railway. We waited.
- January 17, 2014 |
Whatever we choose, we all want our children delivered safely and successfully back to our homeland in the end.
- January 10, 2014 |
All the way home, Sam couldn't help thinking how much he'd been looking forward to going on their summer vacation.
- January 03, 2014 |
The aim is to keep it simple but thorough, focusing on the end of the year, accomplishments, achievements, and awards.
- December 27, 2013 |
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Well, that's just for starters, add to this that it is also a modern and sophisticated metropolis, one of the world's greatest cultural centres and a city with a vibrant street and nightlife and you're pretty close to the mark.
Whether you are coming to Athens for a city break, or just passing through on the way to one of Greece's many islands, this capital city will not fail to impress.
October 2013
All seriously minded shopping in Athens is centered around Kolonaki, the mecca of Greek fashion, and never strays far beyond Stadiou Street off Syntagma Square.
January 2014
An exhibition that brings together 67 items of ancient art from 14 museums and seeks to "illustrate" the hidden world of the poet CP Cavafy and works such as "Ithaca" or "The Barbarians" will run at the Cycladic Museum of Art on Neophytou Douka Street in Athens from January to March. cycladic.gr
October 2013
A colourful way to experience authentic Athens life, and possibly pick up bargains to boot, is to visit a street market or "laiki". One of the best is the Saturday market on Kallidromiou Street in Exarhia.
January 2014
One of the best day trips that Athens has to offer is the relatively short drive to Cape Sounion and the dramatic Temple of Poseidon that stands at its summit, overlooking the blue waters of the Aegean. The site is stunningly beautiful any time of the year and offers spectacular views of the sunset.
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Casa Miretta A
Apartment | 2 bedrooms | sleeps 3
|Key Info
Casa Miretta A is a graceful two-story apartment that is part of an ancient country house located on top of a small hill. It sleeps three people. It is appoximately 60 square meters (645 square feet). It features a shared swimming pool, a shared garden, a reserved outdoor area, winter heating and WI-FI Internet access.
You will be roughly 4.5 km (2.8 miles) from Buonconvento, where you will find restaurants, shops and public transportation.
Casa Miretta A is located on the ground floor of an ancient farmhouse.
To stay at Casa Miretta A you will need a car. You will be able to park it on the premises, in a reserved parking space. Please note that access to Casa Miretta A is along a 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) unpaved road.
Casa Miretta A is one of the holiday homes available in a small complex. Please find a general description of the complex below, and please scroll further down for a description of Casa Miretta A.
You will be in the countryside in an ancient stone farmhouse that has been restored for vacations. You will be on top of a small hill, and before your eyes you will have a wide panorama of the green hills of Siena, famous for their curvy rhythm like waves in the sea.
You can enjoy Siena's country charm in an expansive garden and the beautiful pool nearby. Two hundred meters below you will find the agriculture business that is part of Casa Miretta. You can visit it to see horses, donkeys, pigs, and chickens raised outdoors. It is possible to take horseback rides, for adults and children, guided by an expert. You can also make reservations for dinner with typical Tuscan dishes and local wines.
At Casa Miretta you will find two small apartments with entrances on the ground floor (Casa Miretta A and Casa Miretta B) and three double bedrooms located on the first floor of the same building. On the first floor of the building, you will also find a large living room with a fireplace that is available to all guests staying at Casa Miretta. In the building next door, at one time an antique barn, is Casa Miretta C. The garden and pool are shared.
Staying at Casa Miretta you will be in a central position for visiting popular tourist sites like Siena, Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano, and local hot springs like the Vignoni Baths or the Rapolano Spa.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool is 6 meters (20 feet) large by 14 meters (46 feet) long, 1.5 meters (5 feet) deep. The swimming pool has a sinuous shape. The swimming pool area is equipped with a table, chairs, sun umbrellas, sun loungers, an hammock and an external shower. From the swimming pool you will enjoy a marvelous view of the Valley and of the hills. You will share the pool with the other guests staying at the complex. It is open from the beginning of May until the end of September.
The garden is 500 square meters (5380 square feet) large. It is partly shaded by a gazebo and by cypresses. It is equipped with a table, chairs and sun umbrellas. Here you will also find a portable barbecue. From the garden you will enjoy a spectacular view of the Senesi hills. You will share the garden with the other guests staying at the complex.
In the garden there will be a reserved area for your own exclusive use. The garden is equipped with a table, chairs and a sun umbrella. From the garden you will enjoy a nice view of the Tuscan countryside.
Ground FloorLiving Room
The living room is paved with terracotta tiles. The ceiling has characteristic exposed wood beams and terraccotta tiles. The furnishings are rural and characteristic of the Tuscan house. The furnishings include a leather sofa. In the living room you will also find a cooking area. The kitchenette is equipped with a four-burner gas cooker, a small electric oven, a small refrigerator without freezer and an Italian-style coffee-maker. The dining table can accommodate three guests. In this room you will find a satellite television.
Bedroom 1
You will be able to enter the first bedroom from the living room. It has a wrought iron French bed (120 cm/47 inches). The room has a window with a view of the greenery.
The bathroom is equipped with a washbasin, a toilet and a fully enclosed shower. You will be able to enter the bathroom from the living room through an access area.
First FloorBedroom 2
You will be able to enter the second bedroom from the living room going up a spiral staircase. The bedroom has a wrought iron matrimonial bed (160 cm/62 inches, wider than a queen-size bed). The room has a window with a view of the greenery and of the hills.
|Sleeps up to 3, 2 bedrooms
|Family friendly
|Great for children of all ages, Suitable for people with restricted mobility
|No pets allowed, No smoking at this property
Features and Facilities
|Internet access
|TV, Satellite TV, Wi-Fi available
|2 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms of which 1 Family bathrooms
|Private garden
Availability Your dates are available
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This holiday home hasn't got any reviews yet. The average rating on Holiday Lettings is four out of five. This place could be newly added or perhaps it's a well kept secret. Either way, it's time to reveal all.
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- English
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A new law will raise the income threshold for homestead exemptions, which will allow the elderly and disabled to be exempt from property taxes.
However, the law, which takes effect next week, also includes language that changes eligibility requirements, and that could mean some people could lose their exemption.
Lawmakers raised the maximum income requirement from $7,500 to $12,500 for those who are over the age of 65 or those who have retired because of a disability. At the same time, legislators required those applying for the exemptions to offer more proof.
Officials said everyone who currently receives an exemption for a disability will have to re-apply. The State Department of Revenue sent out guidelines this week to county officials.
The disability exemption is now also tied to income, which was not previously required. That could mean some people who are disabled could end up paying property taxes for the first time in years because they won't qualify for the exemption.
The new rules take effect for the 2013 tax year, but those who want exemptions must apply by the end of this year.
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the best reviews
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For mid-size routers with 1.75- to 2.25-hp motors, reviews often recommend router combo kits as the best buy. The motor can mount on either the fixed or the plunge base, usually with quick-release levers for easy changes. Some woodworkers keep the fixed base mounted in a router table, using the plunger base for freehand work. Since you're only buying one motor, this option costs less than buying two separate routers, but there are some drawbacks. It takes extra time to switch bases, the bit size is usually limited to about 2 inches and the motors are usually 2.25 hp or less -- too small for heavy-duty jobs or continuous use.
The Bosch 1617EVSPK (*Est. $250) is the router combo kit that stands out above the pack, recommended in four comparison reviews, including the most recent tests of 12 router kits in the July 2008 issue of Wood Magazine. The Bosch kit is powered by a 2.25-hp soft-start motor with electronic speed control and a variable-speed dial, and you can mount the switch on the left or right as you prefer. Though the Bosch router kit has been getting top marks for several years, the newest version lets you adjust the bit height on the fixed base from above a router table - a major convenience. Reviews say the scales are easy to read, bit changes and depth adjustments are easy, and the Bosch excels in overall comfort.
The Milwaukee 5616-24 (*Est. $210) also earns praise for comfort, and it's the top-ranked combo kit in the June 2007 comparison tests at Popular Woodworking. Woodworker Troy Sexton praises it as the smoothest running, with the least vibration. Controls are easy to reach whether the router is used handheld or table-mounted, and it's easy to change bits. It loses points at Wood Magazine for a variable-speed dial that doesn't work well. Tools of the Trade Online notes that the depth adjustment can slip a little due to an undersized thumb screw. It can be tightened with pliers, but that could eventually strip the threads. The cord placement also requires extra care to avoid an accident.
As a budget choice, the Craftsman 17543 (*Est. $120) gets a "top value" award at Wood Magazine, performing much better than a budget favorite in earlier reviews, the Skil 1825 (*Est. $100) . Bit changing and depth adjustment on the Craftsman router kit isn't quite as convenient as on the Bosch and Milwaukee kits, and scales aren't as easy to read. Nor is the Craftsman as easy to use in a router table. However, owners reviewing it at Sears.com give it mostly positive reviews, agreeing that it's a good value.
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Category Archives: John Bunyan
John Newton's Preface to Pilgrim's Progress
Early this year a publisher kindly approached me to write a book about John Newton, the slave ship captain turned pastor and hymn writer. At the time I was well on my way to developing a series of blog posts inspired by the letters of Newton (see the "Reading Newton's Mail" series), and the book idea seemed to fit. So I began running with initial research to determine how I would organize a book about Newton's understanding of the Christian life, the focus of the book.
I quickly discovered the challenges of organizing Newton's thoughts on the Christian life, mostly because so much of his teachings have endure in volumes of collected letters addressing a wide variety of practical topics. Those letters are rich and deeply edifying, but they're also hard to organize into a comprehensive scheme. So I sought a more creative angle.
I was aware that Newton had penned a preface to an annotated edition of Puritan John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress published by one of Newton's friends in London in 1776. At that point Bunyan became a critical piece in my research on Newton.
I was also aware that for a season Newton lectured on PP on Wednesday nights (though those lectures apparently were not recorded!). Rumors through the years suggested the 1776 annotated edition of PP featured application notes in the bottom margin written by Newton himself. There were two evidences for it.
First, in his catalog of editions of PP, Bunyan's esteemed editor George Offor wrote this:
There is no indication of who the notes are by; but there can be little doubt but that they are from the pen of the Rev. J. Newton, the friend of Cowper. The Editor has four editions of this interesting volume—1776, 1782, 1789, and 1797.
My hopes were high. Could these notes provide me with a more systematized narrative by which to organize Newton's thoughts on the Christian life?
In January I bundled up and set off for a few days in the rare book wing at the Library of Congress looking for clues that would indicate that Newton was the author of the footnotes. There for a few days I scanned through every fragile 18th century edition of PP they had in storage.
Eventually I uncovered a copy of the 1776 edition and sat down to read it. It was something of a holy moment for me. There in the text of Newton's preface I read these words:
As many persons who have read this allegory, though they find benefit from the whole, are at a loss to determine the author's meaning in some particular parts of his representation, an edition containing some brief notes to illustrate the more difficult passages, has been long desired. An attempt of this kind is now submitted to the public. The annotator does not pretend to be positive that he has always precisely taken up the thought the author had upon his mind at the time of writing, though he thinks there are but few places in which he is in danger of greatly missing it.
Was this further proof that Newton authored of the marginal notes? Surely "the annotator" is a reference to Newton himself!
From my reading – and from emailing every known Bunyan and Newton scholar – I failed to prove that all of those marginal notes were penned by Newton. In fact I now believe that is very unlikely. So once again I was left with the question of how to structure Newton's thoughts. At the same time I was about to begin the final stages of editing Lit! so I decided to decline the Newton project (a most difficult decision). Nevertheless, for a book nerd/researcher, those few days at the LOC were precious.
From that experience I came away with a treasure: Newton's preface.
To my knowledge it has never appeared online. So I've taken the liberty to transcribe (and to slightly modernize) Newton's preface as it originally appeared in the rare 1776 edition of the Pilgrim's Progress. It's quite an honor to share it here on the blog.
Note particularly how Newton turns his attention from praise to the author to the soul of the reader near the end. Such direct pastoral words of care and warning are very Newtonian.
Here it is. Enjoy!
The writings of Mr. Bunyan need no recommendatory preface. The various editions they have passed through, and the different languages into which many of them have been translated, sufficiently prove that the gifts of God which were in him, have, by the divine blessing, been made very acceptable and useful to the churches. Though he was called to the knowledge and ministry of the gospel from a low state of life, as well as from a vicious course of conversation, and was unfurnished with human literature, the Lord, the great, the effectual, the only effectual teacher, made him, in an eminent degree, an able and successful minister of the New Testament. It is probable that only the people to whom he personally preached would have been benefited by his zeal and experience, had not the Lord permitted the rage of his enemies to prevail against him for a season. He lived in more trying days than those in which our lot is fallen. For preaching the word of life to sinners, he was sentenced to perpetual banishment, but what he actually suffered was imprisonment for more than twelve years. But his spirit was not bound. Though secluded from his public work, he could not be idle. He applied himself to writing books, and most of the treatises, by which being dead he still speaketh (in number about threescore) were composed during his confinement in Bedford Goal [jail]. Thus his adversaries themselves contributed to extend his usefulness by the very methods they took to prevent it. And (as in the apostle's case) the things that happened to him, proved rather to the furtherance than the hindrance of the gospel.
His books, though devoid of that art and those ornaments, on which writers who seek the praise of men lay so great a stress, have been, and still are highly esteemed by those who have a taste for divine truth; and greatly instrumental, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, to the awakening of the careless, and the encouragement of those who are seeking salvation. And we doubt not but they will be farther owned of God for these purposes, to many who are yet unborn. But as among the stars one exelleth another in glory, so of all our author's writings, there is no one perhaps so universally and deservedly admired as his Pilgrim's Progress, in which he gives a delineation of the Christian life under the idea of a journey or a pilgrimage, from the City of Destruction to the heavenly Jerusalem. In this treatise he appears not only as a writer well instructed in the mysteries of the kingdom, but a man of real genius. Though he had not a learned education, God had given him considerable natural abilities, a lively invention, a penetrating spirit, a strong judgment, and his style, though plain and simple, is remarkably clear, animated, and engaging. By the exercises through which the Lord led him, and a close study of the Word of God, he acquired a singular knowledge of the human heart, and its various workings, both in a state of nature and grace, and of the various snares and dangers to which a believer is exposed from the men and things of the world, and the subtlety of Satan. These fruits of his experience and observation he has exhibited in a very pleasing and instructive manner in his pilgrim, which may be considered as a map of the Christian profession in its present mixed state, while the wheat and the tares are growing in the same field. A map, so exactly drawn, that we can hardly meet with a case or character, amidst the vast variety of persons and incidents, that daily occur to our observation, to which we cannot easily point out a counterpart in the pilgrim. And he is peculiarly happy in fixing the attention of his readers: many have read this book with a kind of rapturous pleasure, though they have not understood the authors design, (which only they who have the eyes of their minds enlightened by the Spirit of God can fully enter into) and they who understand it best, and who have read it often, usually find fresh pleasure and instruction upon every perusal.
As many persons who have read this allegory, though they find benefit from the whole, are at a loss to determine the author's meaning in some particular parts of his representation, an edition containing some brief notes to illustrate the more difficult passages, has been long desired. An attempt of this kind is now submitted to the public. The annotator does not pretend to be positive that he has always precisely taken up the thought the author had upon his mind at the time of writing, though he thinks there are but few places in which he is in danger of greatly missing it. He hopes however that he has proposed no illustration but what will be found agreeable to the analogy of faith and the experience of believers.
The unusual demand for the Pilgrim's Progress upon its first appearance, induced the author some time after to send forth a second part. In which there are many beautiful passages that sufficiently demonstrate it to be the work of the same masterly hand. But the plan of that which is now called the First Part, was so comprehensive, and so well executed, that the subject was too much exhausted to admit of a Second Part, capable of standing in competition with the former. It is upon the whole greatly inferior to it, though a few pages here and there might be selected, which, for their beauty, propriety, and energy, almost deserve the epithet of inimitable* [footnote: "* See the character of Mr Fearing, and Standfast's discourse when in the river."]. The first part therefore is only published with notes, which it is hoped may afford a sufficient key to the second.
There is a small book in print which bears the title of the third part of the Pilgrim's Progress. It can hardly be necessary to inform any but those who have not read it, that this pretended third part, with Mr. Bunyan's name, is a gross imposition on the public, and that the title is almost the only part of it which bears any resemblance to Bunyan's Pilgrim, excepting when the writer has borrowed the same names. But Bunyan's spirit and manner he could not borrow, and his principles he openly contradicts. A common hedge-stake deserves as much to be compared to Aaron's rod, which yielded blossoms and almonds, as this poor performance to be obtruded upon the world under the title of the third part of the Pilgrim's Progress.
Thus much concerning our book: Let the preface close with a word to the reader's heart. If you are not convinced of sin, and led by the Spirit to seek Jesus, notwithstanding the notes, the Pilgrim will still be a riddle to you. A well-wisher to your soul assures you, that whether you know these things or not, they are important realities. The Pilgrim is a parable, but it has an interpretation in which you are nearly concerned. If you are living in sin, you are in the City of Destruction. O hear the warning voice! "Flee from the wrath to come." Pray that the eyes of your mind may be opened, then you will see your danger, and gladly follow the shining light of the word, till you enter by Christ, the straight gate, into the way of salvation. If death surprise you before you get into this road, you are lost forever.
If you are indeed asking the way to Zion with your face thitherward, I bid you good speed. Behold an open door is set before you, which none can shut. Yet prepare to endure hardship, for the way lies through many tribulations. There are hills and valleys to be passed, lions and dragons to be met with, but the Lord of the hill will guide and guard his people. "Put on the whole armor of God, fight the good fight of faith." Beware of the Flatterer. Beware of the Enchanted Ground. See the Land of Beulah, yea, the city of Jerusalem itself is before you:
There Jesus the forerunner waits.
To welcome travelers home.
The Enchanted Forest
From John Bunyan's classic, The Pilgrim's Progress:
… I then saw in my dream, that they went on until they came into a certain country whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if he came a stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull, and heavy to sleep: wherefore he said unto Christian, I do now begin to grow so drowsy that I can scarcely hold open mine eyes; let us lie down here, and take one nap.
Christian: By no means, said the other; lest, sleeping, we never awake more.
Hopeful: Why, my brother? Sleep is sweet to the laboring man; we may be refreshed, if we take a nap.
Christian: Do you not remember that one of the shepherds bid us beware of the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that, that we should beware of sleeping; wherefore "let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thess. 5:6).
Hopeful: I acknowledge myself in a fault; and had I been here alone, I had by sleeping run the danger of death. I see it is true that the wise man saith, "Two are better than one" (Ecc. 4:9).
Christian: Now, then, said Christian, to prevent drowsiness in this place, let us fall into good discourse.
Hopeful: With all my heart, said the other.
Christian: Where shall we begin?
Hopeful: Where God began with us. But do you begin, if you please. …
Pilgrim Musical Performance Package
A while back on the blog I commended a wonderful DVD of the musical production Pilgrim that was filmed at Covenant Life Church, featuring the high school talent in the church. The Pilgrim DVD is a two-hour long modern interpretation of Bunyan's classic The Pilgrims Progress set to music. Pilgrim is a brilliant and theologically rich adaptation. My entire family enjoyed the production and I commend the DVD to you.
Pilgrim was originally developed with the goal of adapting Bunyan's story to modern culture. Christian Theatre Publications, the folks who wrote and produced the original musical and DVD, have now released a performance package for churches and schools. The package includes a reproducible script, piano score, 30 vocal books, a music CD with full vocals, and an optional accompaniment CD/backing track. The original production DVD is also available. The script can be shortened as needed and can accommodate various cast sizes. I'm told the first step in bringing Pilgrim to your church or school is to apply for a performance license. You can do that here.
It's worth checking out.
You can read my original review of the Pilgrim DVD here.
Even better, you can read Justin Taylor's review of the Pilgrim DVD here. Writes the überblogger extraordinaire: "I give the whole thing a high recommendation!"
And you can watch the Pilgrim DVD trailer here:
O It Makes Me Wonder
John Bunyan, The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded (London, 1708), 183:
Sometimes when my heart has been hard, dead, slothful, blind, and senseless, which indeed are sad frames for a poor Christian to be in, yet at such a time, when I have been in such a case, then has the blood of Christ, the precious blood of Christ, the admirable blood of the God of Heaven, that run out of His body when it did hang on the Cross, so softened, livened, quickened, and enlightened my soul, that truly, reader, I can say, O it makes me wonder!
John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress was originally published in 1678 and it has never been out of print in the 332 years since. So it's not a big surprise that this is one of the bestselling books in the English language. And it should be.
The Pilgrim's Progress is the allegorical story of a man named Christian, all the way from conviction to conversion to glorification. Once Christian finds forgiveness for his sins in the cross, he begins a lifelong pilgrimage as a child of the King on his way to the Celestial City. An array of spiritual themes permeate the book, including worldliness, pride, humility, and friendship. Treacherous spiritual temptations are presented in pictures of monsters, giants, and deceivers. It is a brilliant fantasy, richly adorned with symbolism and penetrating spiritual insights.
But as popular as the book has been in church history it's not a common read today. Its author—John Bunyan—was an uneducated, kettle fix-it-man and pastor from the 17th century whose book would likely have never been published except for his friendship with John Owen. Still, for all his success Bunyan is largely a stranger even among Christian folk. (I know this firsthand because I named my son Bunyan and 99 in 100 people find it odd that I would name my child after a common foot deformity.)
Of course it's not a perfect book, but John Bunyan's masterpiece is an important book. And thankfully there are many publishers working to keep the book available and accessible to modern readers. Not long ago Crossway released a beautifully illustrated version of the book, The Pilgrim's Progress: From This World to That Which Is to Come (my preview here). This latest edition joins several now in print, ranging from reprints of the original text, modernized revisions, and this nice version for kids.
But I doubt any product has more potential for introducing the themes of Bunyan's classic to a new generation of Christians quite like the new DVD of the musical simply titled Pilgrim. The Pilgrim DVD is a recording of a performance at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD (disclosure: that's my church). The high school students from the church performed all the acting and their work is exceptional.
But the real brilliance of Pilgrim is the theology of the script. One of my favorite scenes is between Goodwill, played by an energetic Irish woman, and Christian. Christian has not yet been to the cross. Watch how the theology unfolds:
Christian: I'm a mess. I need get myself cleaned up before I get there [to the cross].
Goodwill: You can't. Oh, lots of pilgrims put off going to the cross so they can clean themselves up first, but you can't do that on your own. The King is the only one who can make you clean. He loves you, despite your dirt.
Christian: I guess it's good to know He loves me …(shrugs) … makes me feel better about myself.
Goodwill: Oh, laddie! He doesn't love ye to make you feel better about yerself. He loves ye because that's WHO HE IS. He died for ye to purchase ye back from the Prince of Destruction. He plans ta do a work in ye, Pilgrim, ta conform ye to His lovin' image. And He wants to make sure ye git home safely.
Christian: Home?! NO! I want to go to the Celestial City.
Goodwill: Once you git to the cross, the Celestial City becomes yer new home.
Christian: Oh, right. That's why I'm here. That's why I made my decision.
Goodwill: Your decision.
Christian: Yeah, you know, to come down this road. I'm glad I'm finally doing it.
Goodwill: (chuckling) Ah, lad, ye think yer desire to walk this road began with you? No, Laddie. It began with the King. He put that desire in ye. He started it! On yer own, ye wouldn't have come this way. And I'll tell ye somethin' more. It's a blessed promise from that book [the Bible]. Since this wasn't your idea but His, the same One who started His good work in ye will carry it through. Right to the finish.
The Pilgrim DVD is just under two hours in length and currently sells online for $18.00. I make no hesitation in saying this is a must-have addition to your family library. We recently enjoyed the presentation for our family movie night, and we used the theology of the film as a means of further discussion on the various spiritual themes. The allegory is brought forth in striking imagery and acting and singing. And while it is a serious and sobering production—how could an allegory about the Christian life not be serious and sobering?—there is some delightful humor at times, too.
Taken together I would say Pilgrim is an epic achievement in the long Bunyan legacy.
If you'd like more detail you can watch a brief trailer for the DVD here:
It's also worth mentioning that Pilgrim was intentionally developed with the goal of helping other local churches to stage their own production of the play. Work is being completed on a performance package that will include the DVD, a reproducible script, chord charts, music, and lyrics for all songs, a music CD with full vocals, and the option to upgrade to an accompaniment CD/backing track. The performance package is now available. See here for details.
Bunyan's Blunder
Charles Spurgeon, in his sermon "Christ Crucified" (No. 2673), said the following:
…let me tell you a little story about Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. I am a great lover of John Bunyan, but I do not believe him infallible; and the other day I met with a story about him which I think a very good one.
There was a young, man, in Edinburgh, who wished to be a missionary. He was a wise young man; so he thought, "If I am to be a missionary, there is no need for me to transport myself far away from home; I may as well be a missionary in Edinburgh."
Well, this young man started, and determined to speak to the first person he met. He met one of those old fishwives; those of us who have seen them can never forget them, they are extraordinary women indeed. So, stepping up to her, he said, "Here you are, coming along with your burden on your back; let me ask you if you have got another burden, a spiritual burden."
"What!" she asked; "do you mean that burden in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress? Because, if you do, young man, I got rid of that many years ago, probably before you were born. But I went a better way to work than the pilgrim did. The evangelist that John Bunyan talks about was one of your parsons that do not preach the gospel; for he said, 'Keep that light in thine eye, and run to the wicket-gate.' Why—man alive!—that was not the place for him to run to. He should have said, 'Do you see that cross? Run there at once!' But, instead of that, he sent the poor pilgrim to the wicket-gate first; and much good he got by going there! He got tumbling into the slough, and was like to have been killed by it."
"But did not you," the young man asked, "go through any Slough of Despond?"
"Yes, I did; but I found it a great deal easier going through with my burden off than with it on my back."
The old woman was quite right. John Bunyan put the getting rid of the burden too far off from the commencement of the pilgrimage. If he meant to show what usually happens, he was right; but if he meant to show what ought to have happened, he was wrong.
We must not say to the sinner, "Now, sinner, if thou wilt be saved, go to the baptismal pool; go to the wicket-gate; go to the church; do this or that."
No, the cross should be right in front of the wicket-gate; and we should say to the sinner, "Throw thyself down there, and thou art safe; but thou are not safe till thou canst cast off thy burden, and lie at the foot of the cross, and find peace in Jesus."
The Pilgrim's Progress (now in living color)
I named my second son after John Bunyan (1628—1688). Bunyan is a literary giant from the Puritan era. His classic book, The Pilgrim's Progress, is one of the best selling books of all time and has undergone dozens of editions and translations over the centuries. The newest version is set to hit bookstores at the end of September in a deluxe, updated, 240-page, colorfully illustrated version from Crossway ($16.49 over at Amazon).
The book's text has been edited and updated by C. J. Lovik and the book's 30 illustrations were contributed by award winning painter Michael Wimmer. As the release date approaches for this book I'll have a full review. But for now, I wanted to post two illustrations. Crossway permitted me a sneak peak into the book a few days ago. Here is an exclusive look at two of the paintings.
Illustration copyright © 2009 by Michael Wimmer. Posted by permission of the publisher. The Pilgrim's Progress: From This World to That Which Is to Come (Crossway 2009), p. 18.
Illustration copyright © 2009 by Michael Wimmer. Posted by permission of the publisher. The Pilgrim's Progress: From This World to That Which Is to Come (Crossway 2009), p. 129.
Nice illustrations! … I'll have more for you in a later review.
Critiquing the Missional Movement
Now that all the Sovereign Grace Ministries messages are free, I'm slowly feasting message-by-message in a long and delicious buffet of audio. Today I finally arrived at Dave Harvey's message from the SGM Leadership Conference this Spring (at the time, I was on the other side of the wall listening to Dever speak on his annual reading schedule).
Harvey, the author of the excellent book When Sinners Say I Do: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage (Shepherd's Press: 2007), is also an expert church planter and apostolic leader within SGF. This Spring in his session "Watch Your Mission: To Be, or Not to Be, 'Missional,'" he assessed the strengths and weakness of the missional movement. In part, he argues the MM muddies the Cross-centered focus of the Church and misunderstands the apostolic context of the Great Commission.
Here's the heart of his outline:
1. What are the Strengths of Missional Churches?
A. Missional Churches Have a Commendable Passion for Evangelism.
B. Missional Churches Have a Laudable Commitment to Engaging Culture.
C. Missional Churches Have a Profitable Impulse for Reexamining Church Tradition.
D. They Also Possess an Admirable Devotion to Social Impact.
2. What are the Weaknesses of Missional Churches?
A. Missional Churches Tend to Be Mission-Centered Rather Than Gospel-Centered.
B. Missional Churches Tend to Have a Reductionistic Ecclesiology.
C. Missional Churches Tend to Confuse Culture Engagement with Cultural Immersion.
D. Missional Churches Tend to Downplay the Institutional and Organizational Nature of the Church.
E. Missional Churches Tend to Have an Insufficient Understanding of Apostolic Ministry.
Free: Get the full outline here and the mp3 audio here.
Update: It should be noted SGM believes in a continuing apostolic gift: "present-day apostles plant and build local churches for the sanctification of the believer, the expansion of the mission, and the exaltation of God." For more on why they use the term, what it means and does not mean, see the SGM booklet by Harvey titled Polity: Serving and Leading the Local Church (2004), pages 17-26, 49-50.
Mark Dever's Canon of Theologians (Annual Reading Plan)
Thursday morning (4/12/07)
Breakout seminar #2
Mark Dever: "Watch the Past: Living Lessons from Dead Theologians"
GAITHERSBURG, MD – Being one who loves to read the books of dead theologians and preachers, Mark Dever's session was a personal highlight. The point was to encourage us to broaden our theological and biographical reading to at least 12 different authors, each to be read for one month annually. Dever himself uses a yearly reading plan where he reads a specific author each month of the year (like Augustine in February). Then every April he moves on to John Calvin, reading a new biography or theological work. Each year the reading plan starts over.
For readers of the Together for the Gospel blog, this will sound familiar. On February 1, 2006 Dever wrote a short post titled "An apostolic agenda" outlining this very thing. On Thursday morning at the Sovereign Grace Ministries Leader's Conference, Dever filled out the details.
Dever began with a lengthy quote from C.S. Lewis' introduction to Athanasius' On The Incarnation which outlines some reasons why old books are important. Lewis writes,
There is a strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be read only by the professionals, and that the amateur should content himself with the modern books. Thus I have found as a tutor in English Literature that if the average student wants to find out something about Platonism, the very last thing he thinks of doing is to take a translation of Plato off the library shelf and read the Symposium. He would rather read some dreary modern book ten times as long, all about "isms" and influences and only once in twelve pages telling him what Plato actually said. The error is rather an amiable one, for it springs from humility. The student is half afraid to meet one of the great philosophers face to face. He feels himself inadequate and thinks he will not understand him. But if he only knew, the great man, just because of his greatness, is much more intelligible than his modern commentator. The simplest student will be able to understand, if not all, yet a very great deal of what Plato said; but hardly anyone can understand some modern books on Platonism. It has always therefore been one of my main endeavours as a teacher to persuade the young that firsthand knowledge is not only more worth acquiring than secondhand knowledge, but is usually much easier and more delightful to acquire. …
The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books. Not, of course, that there is any magic about the past. People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes. They will not flatter us in the errors we are already committing; and their own errors, being now open and palpable, will not endanger us. Two heads are better than one, not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction. To be sure, the books of the future would be just as good a corrective as the books of the past, but unfortunately we cannot get at them.
With this introduction, Dever launched into his "canon of theologians." He encouraged us to read on theological issues that are not a particular struggle at the time. Let the theologians talk about what they want to talk about. Dever then outlined his own personal reading plan.
The 'canon of theologians'
January – Early church writings (1st-3rd centuries). Recommended reading: Many and various works and authors were mentioned like the Epistle of Dionysius, The Didache, Clement, The Martyrdom of Polycarp and the Penguin paperback, Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers (0140444750). When asked if he used the early church writings in his expositional research, he said 'no.' He is familiar with the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture but has not found them exegetically beneficial. [This helps answer an important question we asked earlier this year]. Dever's use of the early church fathers is predominantly theological and historical.
February – Augustine (354-430). The most influential extra-biblical theologian in the West. Recommended: City of God and The Confessions (Henry Chadwick edition). Dever's disagreement: That the church is the conduit of salvation. "Augustine got it bad wrong on ecclesiology."
March – Martin Luther (1483-1546). Lessons learned: 1. Justification is by faith alone, all of sheer grace. Luther "cleanses the church from the barnacles of traditionalism." 2. Luther's boldness. Read biography Here I Stand. Recommended reading: 95 Theses and Bondage of the Will. You can read Bondage of the Will out loud to children and they will be engaged because of the vigorous prose and Luther's name-calling towards Erasmus (Dever is very funny). Best bio being Here I Stand by Roland Bainton (0452011469).
April – John Calvin (1509-1564). The greatest theologian of the Reformation period. Lessons learned: 1. God's glory at the center of everything. The world is the "theater" of God's glory. 2. Centrality of man's depravity, shown especially in the heart's perpetual idol production. 3. He was careful with Scripture. Calvin had a very rare combination of gifts that balanced the theological, linguistic, pastoral, and exegetical. 4. He filled both the offices of pastor and scholar. 5. The diligent training of his spiritual children even as he knew sending these pastors back into France would mean certain death [see the concept of "Calvin's School of Death"]. Disagreements: That the state is responsible for the church. He confused the church and state, a distinction we take for granted today. Recommended: Sermons on the Ten Commandments, commentary on 1 Cor. 12-14, The Institutes of the Christian Religion and anything written by T.H.L. Parker. He does not recommend modern bios of Calvin and especially warned against McGrath.
May – Richard Sibbes (1577-1635). Lessons learned: 1. The tenderness of Christ. The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax a great example of Jesus' tenderness and it makes for a great read together with your spouse. Sibbes was able to point out evidences of grace very well. 2. "Diagnostic evangelism." Sibbes continued to hold out the biblical truth of what a genuine Christian looks like and, by consequence, sorted out those who nominally professed faith. By authenticating the Christian life he naturally separated the sheep from the wolves and goats. He was clear that one's salvation does not come through assurance but rather assurance comes from genuine salvation. Sibbes pointed those who were never converted to run to grace in the Cross. Disagreement: Infant baptism. Recommendations: Sibbes stuttered in his preaching so he kept his sentences relatively short and this makes him easier to read than his contemporaries. Start with the sermons in volume seven of his collected works.
June – John Owen (1616-1683) and John Bunyan (1628-1688). John Owen is known for his argument on limited atonement in Death of Death. It's a good book to scare Arminians, but there exist better exegetical ways to argue for limited atonement. Lesson learned: Linger with Scripture. "Diligent meditation reaps great rewards." Dever especially recommends the Owen volumes by Kris Lundgaard (The Enemy Within and Through the Looking Glass) and those by Kapic and Taylor (Overcoming Sin and Temptation). … John Bunyan was a "pot-repairer with extraordinary preaching gifts." Bunyan clearly expresses himself without the use of long, Latin sentences. His life was marked by a sincere pastoral concern. Recommended: Saint's Knowledge of Christ's Love, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (autobiographical) and The Pilgrim's Progress. The Pilgrim's Progress being a "great systematic theology" built around the "centrality of heaven."
July – Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). There are many lessons and warnings from the life of Jonathan Edwards. Lessons learned: 1. Diligent meditation. "Edwards can stare at an idea" and has "a powerful ability to think out and illustrate" that idea. An excellent example of this is Edward's sermon The Excellency of Christ. 2. Edwards demonstrates a zeal for the purity of the church. 3. Understands the connection between his ministry and his congregation. In his Farewell Sermon, after Edwards was fired, he tells his congregation "I'll see you before the throne." Disagreements: 1. Infant baptism. 2. The logic of God's centrality seemed a bit philosophical rather than always biblical. 3. He shows some pastoral carelessness especially with the "young folks' Bible" controversy [see chapter 18 in George Marsden's biography]. Nevertheless, Edwards demonstrates a powerful ability to think out and illustrate. Read his sermons and especially his sermon The Nakedness of Job which he wrote when he was 18 years old! As an interesting side note, Dever has preached an Edwards sermon to his congregation. On October 5, 2003 he took Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, marked up the manuscript as he would his own and preached it. You can listen to the final product here.
August – C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892). Lessons learned: 1. Evangelism. Spurgeon preached the gospel from any and every text. "More than anyone else, I think of Spurgeon when I prepare my sermons." Preach each sermon as though someone may be converted. 2. His life is filled with stories of God's kindness upon his ministry. Read Spurgeon's autobiography and be amazed at the stories. Spurgeon's autobiography "may be the most fun thing to read apart from Scripture." It will encourage you to see that we have a glorious God. 3. He had a lively faith. Spurgeon had "a heightened God-consciousness." Even in the midst of a prolonged depression, Spurgeon shows that depression drives a faithful Christian to God. Read his Morning and Evening devotional.
September – B.B. Warfield (1851-1921). "Warfield strengthens my faith." Like John Calvin, Warfield had a wonderful mix of scholarship and piety. Disagreements include infant baptism and Presbyterian polity.
October – Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981). Not much in disagreement. Lessons learned: 1. Gave his life to preaching and lived confident in the power of God's Word. 2. Deadly earnest. It was no light thing for him to preach. The pulpit was the "desk of God." Recommended: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Preaching and Preachers, Spiritual Depression and his biography by Iain Murray.
November – C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) and Carl F.H. Henry (1913-2003). Because time ran short, Dever simply finished off his list of writers he reads in November and December without further comment or recommendation.
December – Contemporary authors like John Stott, J.I. Packer, Iain Murray, R.C. Sproul and John Piper.
This breakout session encourages me to pursue the study of the early church writers, although I've become more convinced that they will not prove as helpful in my expositional research and sermon preparation as others. It also encourages me to narrow my focus to a handful of great writers and focus attention on their writings each year. I'm in the process of creating my own "canon of theologians" for annual study.