Hyphen
/ˈhīfən/
noun
Definition: a symbol used to join two words together, or to show that a word has been divided into two parts at the end of one line and the beginning of the next.
(Cambridge Dictionary)
Amanda, a good friend, is studying Jewish/Christian relations in Rome and she just shared a copy of her latest assignment, for a course on theParting of the Ways, discussing the split between Jews and Christians.
Amanda in Phoenix
Group Study in Rome | Photo from Amanda’s Facebook page
Sometimes a word or a phrase, in a book, a conversation, a video, or even an academic paper, stops you in your tracks and surprised, you think, “This is a word for me…right now”.
She first heard the concept, hyphen living, while talking with a Rabbi in Israel.
Why did those words jump off the page for me? You would think that by now the question of identity is surely settled.
I also am a Jew, a follower of the Messiah, a Christian, living in the dichotomy, worshipping within the Anglican communion. Where do I fit, church or synagogue? Where is home?
And then I think of the others, multitudes hovering outside uniformity. Is there a peaceful place to settle?
Poster created by Baruch HaShem
Last Sunday I was invited to tell my story, via Zoom, with Baruch HaShem, a Messianic Congregation in Dallas Texas.
Daniel and Monica Valle and their 3 children were there, listening.
Two days later, they just happened to be traveling to California for a family wedding, passing Phoenix on their way!
Sydney, Jonah, Allan, Monica and Daniel in Phoenix.
They stopped by for a short visit and we shared stories.
Daniel, from Spain, living in the USA, heading with his family to Australia, said, “Identity is a journey”
Monica’s family background is Muslim, Armenian with a Jewish great-grandmother….
It was our first meeting but we felt an immediate bond, their presence was a benediction.
What was going on between us?
Dear Hanna,
I learnt to never look at a person from the outside but always to wait until I got to know the person who was in front of me. I took in a man who told me he was a mechanic and was at the end of himself. I figured that if the leaders of OM could put up with me then the least I could do would be to love this person in front of me. He turned out to be my first son-in-law and I give thanks for him everyday and my oldest daughter does as well. Where do you find a man who learnt to play his violin in the back of the work shop went to bible school and joined a mission went to the Muslim world, learnt to read, write and speak Arabic.
The people kept coming but for me the next person was my second daughters first husband. I had the privilege of leading him to the Lord and because of his dedication to the Lord I was happy that they got married. They could not have children because as a hemifiliac he had received contaminated blood and died of aids after 8 years of married life. Our Lord is always faithful and HE sent a young man along who saw my daughter and with in a relatively short time they were married and are now running the work that I have been leading. You see our God is faithful. I was always asked who will do it when you are gone? My answer was always when the person who started the work died our Father in Heaven sent me along and so it kept right on going.
My youngest daughter brought a young man home and he was not much to look at but he had a willing heart and I took him in and now he is in demand to work on sound desks and my daughter and her husband are loving each other and my present wife.
DONT EVER TELL ME THAT GOD IS NOT FAITHFUL. All we need to do is to obey the one HE sent and even the
bad things (as we see it) work together for good. God bless you both.