David Brickner Said What?

I've been a supporter of the Jews for Jesus organization for some time now, so when a friend told me she read that executive director, David Brickner, allegedly made some harsh, supposedly anti-Jew comments about God's judgment at Sarah Palin's church in Wasilla, Alaska, I was disturbed.

In a politico.com post, the blogger, Ben Smith, alleges that Brickner “described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's ‘judgment of unbelief’ of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.”

Really? I found it hard to believe that a man who loves Jews so much that he’s made it his life’s work (not unlike the disciple, Peter) to gently minister and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Jews would strike out at them because of their unbelief. As a subscriber to the Jews for Jesus newsletter, I have never, not once, read something that didn’t sit well with my Christian faith, my love for God and my love for the Jews.

Brickner writes in a Biblically-based, pro-Israel tone. His love for the Jews shows through in everything he writes. His goal is clearly to spread the message of love and salvation of Jesus to the Jews. He wants them to experience the same freedom he and other Christians experience. He wants them to be saved from their sins. He wants everyone to come to know Jesus, but he has a heart for the Jews.

That’s why it was so difficult for me to believe that Brickner would slam them in any way, shape or form.

Today I received the latest Jews for Jesus newsletter and in it, David Brickner responds to these claims:

“My message that morning from Matthew 23: 37-39, titled, "The Jerusalem Dilemma," made reference to sin and judgment, and the need for all people, both Jews or Gentiles, to repent and seek forgiveness through Y'shua. I pointed to the many conflicts and tragedies that we hear about daily on the news, as evidence that the whole world is suffering the effects of sin and stands under God's judgment; that we all need the grace and forgiveness of God found only in Christ. These are no more or less than basic tenets of the Christian faith. Then I spoke of God's great love for Israel and for the world, and shared the encouraging news of how many Israelis are now open to hearing about Jesus.”

On the Jews for Jesus homepage, he adds, “Of course I never expected the kind of magnifying glass scrutiny on a message where I was speaking extemporaneously. Let me be clear. I don’t believe that any one event whether a terrorist attack or a natural disaster is a specific fulfillment of or manifestation of a Biblical prediction of judgment. I don’t believe that the newspaper should be used to interpret the Bible. The Bible interprets the Bible. I love my Jewish people and the land of Israel. I stand with and support her against all efforts to harm her or her people in any way.”

Now that’s the David Brickner I’ve come to admire. His message in Wasilla, Alaska wasn’t about hate, it wasn’t anti-Jew; it was about God’s judgment on the world. And anyone who questions God’s judgment needs only to read the Bible.

Brickner’s message to the church that day received publicity because it was the church Sarah Palin’s family attended. And in the game of politics and propaganda, apparently anything goes, even if it goes against logic. Because Sarah Palin attended this church and because some have wrongly judged Brickner’s message as anti-Jew, Sarah Palin has now been viewed as anti-Jew. *shaking my head*

Even if the message had been anti-Jew (which it wasn't) and Sarah Palin had been sitting in the congregation, would this reflect her personal beliefs? According to this logic, if a guest speaker had come in and happened to mention how much he loved hamburgers, then one would have to assume Sarah Palin loved hamburgers, too.

I hate that David Brickner and the Jews for Jesus organization has been dragged into the muck of the nasty game of propaganda. But if I know God like I think I do, I’m willing to bet He’ll use it for good (Genesis 50:20).