An accomplice of a thief is his own enemy. He hears the oath but says nothing.
- Proverbs 29:24 TLV
Antisemitism has shot up to levels not seen since the 1930's. This should tell all of us that our society and the world are in very serious trouble.
Jews are the scapegoat for the ills of society. Jews are like some sort of supernatural thermometer. A thermometer doesn't cause the temperature; It is a means of telling the temperature. So it is with Jews and the level of sickness in society. That's why they call us Jews the "canary in the coal mine."
There is always antisemitism but very high levels of it are generally limited to certain countries or regions. Today it's a worldwide phenomenon.
At the same time that the antisemitism gauge is flashing red warning signals, we have a worldwide leadership vacuum.
There is a lack of strong ethical moral leadership in the world. In America we have a President who get's confused laying a wreath on Veterans Day and can't find his way off stage. In Europe there is no central leader.
 |
| Invented the first air pump and used it to study the phenomenon of a vacuum in the 1600's. |
The combination of a very ill society and a leadership vacuum is a very risky and dangerous situation! This combination sets the stage for a charismatic leader with oratory talents and the ability to capture and channel the passions of the populous. Such an individual can rapidly rise to power. They can seemingly come out of nowhere and quickly command the masses!
The question is which side will they appeal to? Will they give voice to and unite the angry antisemitic population and propell the world into darkness? Or will they seek to return us to a better place? Will they have good or evil intentions?
The world, societies and each of us has to choose. When it comes to good and evil there is no middle. We have to pick a side. It is time to recognize the consequences of our choices. When dealing with true evil the options are never easy and good people often have to do things they never would otherwise. We need to have the courage to take uncomfortable actions.
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
There is an opening for both a messiah figure as well as an anti-messiah figure. Surely, deception will be at work. Will you be able to tell the difference? Don't be so sure!!
"For not only one (enemy) has risen up against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise up to destroy us." From the Vehi Shamda passage in the Passover Haggadah
