"After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven's Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For He said, 'Anyone who harms you harms My most precious possession.'" (Zechariah 2:8, NLT)
I may have published this before, but can't remember. Regardless, I publish it again here because of the events over the weekend, events which occurred only 10 miles from where I was born, and 50 some miles from where I now write this. My article has been called, "The Pittsburgh Declaration," and appears in a book entitled, Breaking the Silence, written by Jobst Bittner, a German pastor. The steering committee of the Pittsburgh "March of Remembrance" asked me to write something for its inaugural march on May 1, 2011.
To the Jewish Community of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
We know that the Jewish People throughout the centuries have borne the greatest discrimination, the worst persecution and the most barbaric atrocities of any people group. We are aware that much of this has been done by those who called themselves "Christians," sometimes while even calling upon the Name of Jesus. While those of us standing with you here today deplore and condemn in the strongest terms and way those crimes perpetrated against Jewish People throughout history, we nonetheless ask for your forgiveness for all crimes against you which were perpetrated by those calling themselves "Christian." These atrocities in no way reflect Jesus, Who Himself a Jew, embraced the Law and the Prophets. As His Followers, we too affirm them and embrace them, and in that affirming and embracing we say to you and to the world that we will stand with the Jewish People as long as we have breath.
The concentration camps in Europe stand as silent sentinels to the past barbarity of the human race, not just some "Christians." Anti-Semitism knows no ethnic, creedal, or political bounds. But we repeat the words engraved and openly displayed at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial, "Never Again!" By that we mean we are yours. You will never be attacked as a People while we who are Christians stand by and do nothing.
We covenant with you that while others have stood silent during your times of great sufferings, we, the Community of those who follow Jesus, will never be silent, never abandon you, and covenant to supply you quarter should any present or future events make that necessary. The number of those in the Church of Jesus Community increases your Community.
Our prayer, as part of the Christian Community in Pittsburgh, is that you will always remember this commitment we make to you this First Day of May, 2011.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
