"And I will follow You all of my days"

[hermionesviolin]

I've been reading some stuff off of friendsfriends about Christianity co-opting Judaism (i.e., I'm reading posts by Jews who are reacting to ways in which Christians are discussing Kings), and my visceral reaction is reminding me of how some white people reacted to some of the discussions in RaceFail2009.

I feel like crying, "No! That's not how my personal Christianity thinks of Judaism -- and the ways in which my understanding does overlap with this one that you find offensive, let me explain how it's really not offensive."

I know that when people (who aren't even mutually friended with me) are sharing their personal pain, that that's not the time or the place for me to step in and share my alternative interpretation.

I'm still sitting with the issue (of how I should be responding in my own head -- I'm not gonna go start an argument in someone else's LJ).

***

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

Comments

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I think my problem with the language of "appropriation" is that it implies outsiders coming in and taking stuff from a culture that isn't their own -- which, yes, is in some ways what happened as the Jesus Movement spread to the Gentiles, but the NT writers were Jews, and they understood Jesus in a Jewish context.

Okay. I don't think the anger I read in those posts was directed at NT writers or even at Jesus because as you say here, they *were* all Jews and their audience was Jewish, etc. I think the anger is at current Christians who are not aware of the historical roots of their faith and who use language that denies the Jewish experience. But again, maybe I'm really wrong and again not speaking for anyone who is Jewish.

I wish I could plop you into First Church Somerville UCC or something. I'll try to think of some books I can recommend to you.

*hugs you back*

This is why I am so consistently grateful for having you on my flist (and now Ari and LadyCat who both consistently post about religious issues) because you force me to reflect on my spirituality where I otherwise would not.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

The anger in the posts was definitely aimed at current Christians, but it was often phrased (as I read it) as a criticism of Christianity in and of itself taking the Jewish stories for its own purposes, which felt excessive to me. Though in going back and skimming to refresh myself, it really is anger at the way that Christianity now/historically (i.e., once none of its followers thought of themselves as Jews) has treated/thought about Judaism . . . in a way which sort of blurs into talking about Christianity in and of itself, because the posters were angry and hurt and not making any claims to be crafting thorough wholly logical arguments, but yeah, my impression of an opposition to Christianity per se might well have been a bit of an overreading on my part, especially since I was reacting emotionally as well.