This morning, I had a very spiritually productive time of dialog and for sharing my faith...
I spent about forty minutes talking with Eleazar, a very religious orthodox Jewish man who's in his 50s. Eleazar asked me many questions about my belief in Jesus. He showed no hostility at all, but only an honest curiosity instead.
I explained to him that, even though I believe in Jesus as the Messiah, I still consider myself to be Jewish. I told him that I have not changed my religion at all. I told Eleazar that Jesus was Jewish and that most of his early followers were Jews. Almost all the writers of the New Testament were Jews, too.
We talked about our backgrounds. He told me that he is from Columbia, a nation in South America. He and I are both the only children of our parents, although I have a half sister who I did not grow up with, but I did meet when I was in my early 20s.
After his parents died, Eleazar decided to come to the United States and start a new life. There were also no family members left with whom he was close, he said. But having left a small Jewish community in the capital city of Bogotá, he ended up getting into trouble with the law when he teamed up with some other Colombians who were selling drugs.
Eleazar has now been in prison for eight years. He recently attended a parole hearing, and he was granted parole provided that he accepts deportation back to Columbia. He knows, however, that because he no longer has any close relative in his home country, and because he is being deported, the authorities will be waiting for him. Eleazar opted to accept deportation, as it is basically his only chance to get released.
I believe, too, that had the parole board not had the option to kick Eleazar out of the country by granting him parole and thus paving the way for the Department of Immigration and Naturalization (INS) to get custody of him, Eleazar would have received the standard "two year hit" that almost all New York state prison inmates get at their first parole board appearance.
Eleazar, however, has something else that may be good for him. He has made friends with some influential rabbis within the large Jewish community that's in Sullivan County. And one of these rabbis, who comes to visit him about once per month, has begun the process of trying to get Eleazar deported to Israel, instead. Eleazar and I were talking about this at length. I concurred with him that this would be a good thing. As a Jew he can, with some outside help, make his pilgrimage to Israel and eventually become an Israeli citizen.
He was excited about this, and I told him that I will pray that this happens. For if Eleazar was made to return to Columbia, it could be disastrous. Since he has no family there and no job awaiting him in his country, and because the INS is sending him back for committing crimes while in the United States, in all frankness, the Columbian police could cause Eleazar to "disappear."
There is no longer any place for him in Columbian society. But if Eleazar goes to Israel, he can start a new life and get back on his feet again. For him, this would be a blessing from God.
D.B.
I explained to him that, even though I believe in Jesus as the Messiah, I still consider myself to be Jewish. I told him that I have not changed my religion at all. I told Eleazar that Jesus was Jewish and that most of his early followers were Jews. Almost all the writers of the New Testament were Jews, too.
We talked about our backgrounds. He told me that he is from Columbia, a nation in South America. He and I are both the only children of our parents, although I have a half sister who I did not grow up with, but I did meet when I was in my early 20s.
After his parents died, Eleazar decided to come to the United States and start a new life. There were also no family members left with whom he was close, he said. But having left a small Jewish community in the capital city of Bogotá, he ended up getting into trouble with the law when he teamed up with some other Colombians who were selling drugs.
Eleazar has now been in prison for eight years. He recently attended a parole hearing, and he was granted parole provided that he accepts deportation back to Columbia. He knows, however, that because he no longer has any close relative in his home country, and because he is being deported, the authorities will be waiting for him. Eleazar opted to accept deportation, as it is basically his only chance to get released.
I believe, too, that had the parole board not had the option to kick Eleazar out of the country by granting him parole and thus paving the way for the Department of Immigration and Naturalization (INS) to get custody of him, Eleazar would have received the standard "two year hit" that almost all New York state prison inmates get at their first parole board appearance.
Eleazar, however, has something else that may be good for him. He has made friends with some influential rabbis within the large Jewish community that's in Sullivan County. And one of these rabbis, who comes to visit him about once per month, has begun the process of trying to get Eleazar deported to Israel, instead. Eleazar and I were talking about this at length. I concurred with him that this would be a good thing. As a Jew he can, with some outside help, make his pilgrimage to Israel and eventually become an Israeli citizen.
He was excited about this, and I told him that I will pray that this happens. For if Eleazar was made to return to Columbia, it could be disastrous. Since he has no family there and no job awaiting him in his country, and because the INS is sending him back for committing crimes while in the United States, in all frankness, the Columbian police could cause Eleazar to "disappear."
There is no longer any place for him in Columbian society. But if Eleazar goes to Israel, he can start a new life and get back on his feet again. For him, this would be a blessing from God.
D.B.
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