There’s a line from my memoir that goes like this: “Christians are called to be pariahs, to go against the ways of this world. But I am a special kind of pariah.” It refers to the biblical mandate that Christians are to be “not of this world.” Gospel values are always going to make us unpopular (I can’t think of a doctrine less popular in a pluralistic society than asserting Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven).
But coming from a Jewish background, one could say I am a descendant of pariahs. There has never been a time in history that’s truly been safe for Jews anywhere in the world. In the United States, however, religious freedom is a hard-won right. It’s far safer to be Jewish here than, say, in Gaza.
But it still isn’t easy. Antisemitism can be found just about anywhere, in many forms. Even in progressive circles, which was a shock for me to learn at an embarrassingly recent date.
There are shades of antisemitism, some of which are easier to tolerate than others. There are negative stereotypes, cruel jokes, and straight-up ignorance. The latter is what I tend to find among well-meaning people who simply don’t know any better (and are genuinely shocked to learn that their words come across in that way).
The “enemy” you thought you knew
But since October 7th, 2023, it’s been different. I don’t believe that any criticism of Israel equals Jewish hatred, necessarily. But social media posts asserting that Israel should not exist as a Jewish nation are not the norm. Equating Jews – all Jews – with racist colonizers is not the norm. Taking the side of Hamas is too ludicrous to even be real, but it is.
And these are posts I’ve seen from people I knew in the progressive Christian blogosphere, back when that was my life’s work.
I may not identify ideologically with that world anymore, but those posts felt like a personal betrayal. I grew up being taught that the political Left was the one on the right side of history: composed of “social justice warriors,” preachers of tolerance, and defenders of the marginalized. So I feel very much out of my depth at the moment, trying to understand anti-Jewish sentiments from people my family always considered to be allies.
Not safe, but good
I worry about safety a bit more now that I’m a parent. As all parents know, this world has never been completely safe. There is another layer of complexity, however, to raising a child to be Christian when she has Jewish roots. That background is something she will need to know, for her medical history as well as a comprehensive understanding of her family of origin.
In this world, Christianity will not keep her safe (though the issue of being “safe” as a Christian is another discussion topic altogether). Even nuns were hauled out of the convent and deported to the death camps because of their Jewish origins.
Most of the time, being hated comes from having done something to deserve it. Not so in this case. I can’t protect my daughter from being hated for who her mother is. And that’s terrifying.
I’ve given serious thought to quitting this blog, or maybe starting a book blog instead – something “safe” and not controversial in the slightest.
But that would be impossible, and not simply because everything on the internet is forever. This is my heritage, and what the Lord has used to draw me to His son. It can’t be erased or forgotten, and I’m angry at even having to consider it.
The Lord never promised us safety, anyway. But like the beaver from Narnia said, He is good.
Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash
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