Behind the Sun

So yesterday was the first day of Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year. And yesterday night began the muslim feast of Aid-il-Ftri, the last day of Ramadan. The muezzin was singing most of the night and morning; and most of us could not sleep. I was up at 4am to see what was going on in the streets. It was quite crowded but the drizzle began. In fact it showered 3 times today. A good sign. Perhaps it will rain throughout winter this year.

Yesterday afternoon at 3.15, the two muslim brothers/shop-owners opposite our house came back to our courtyard to cause trouble. Shouting and ranting that they are the boss of our monastery, they tried to break down our glass reception room and beat up our doorman with a broom. That is what these two guys do in Ramadan and fasting - to harass us Christians. Some other muslim friends came quietly to me later and tried to excuse the behaviour and asking for understanding. But how can you explain away this outright persecution? We can't even live in peace and security in our own house. Everyone here is afraid. But why?

Lately we've been discussing the word "born again". Well if you check out John chapter 3, you'll find that Jesus never uses this word. He uses "born from above, born of water, born of spirit". It was Nicodemus who used "born again" and by this he had the mistaken meaning of "crawling back into the mother's womb" to be born again. So we're wondering why some christians insist on using this misnomer for their own faith. Are they as mistaken as Nicodemus? Catholics are born of water and the spirit (baptism); they need not be "born again" like mistaken Nicodemus.

Am watching now a touching christian show called "Behind the Sun" of a muslim man who converted to Christianity and the consequences. All shot somewhere here in the Middle East. Very inspiring, real and touching. You should watch it.