Lively Stones ~ Building Walls or Building Bridges?

In 1241 CE, there was a pogrom in Frankfurt Germany (see entry on The LIST, 1241). This Judenschlacht (slaughter of the Jews) was sparked by the refusal of a Jew to convert to Christianity and resulted in the deaths of 180 Jews. Twenty-four Jews avoided death by accepting forced baptism. The synagogue was plundered and the Torah scrolls were destroyed.

Bernard of Clairvaux was one of the most influential monks who ever lived and was legendary for his great love for God and man. He charged the Jewish people with the following (see entry on The LIST, 1090):

“A stupidity bestial and more bestial” and “an intelligence coarse, dense, and as it were, bovine  because they did not follow the Lord. They were an “evil seed”; there was nothing in them that was not crude and coarse, whether we consider their occupations, their inclinations, their understanding, even their rites which they worship God.” They were a “race who had not God for their father, but were of the devil and were murderers as he was a murderer from the beginning.”

This was spoken by a “friend of the Jews!”

As we survey the bloody history of our Church forefathers, we see how wide and deep the chasm is between Jews and Christians. Our Church forefathers built a very high wall separating Jews from Christians. The wall was built brick by brick, stone by stone, with mindsets and actions.

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.”
Ephesians 2:11-14 (KJV)

What is this wall of offense that has been there for centuries between Jews and the Christians? What is the wall made of? How did it get built? And more importantly, how does the wall get dismantled?

As I pondered these questions, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind a vision. In this vision I saw many rectangular shaped tall standing stones. At first they were scattered all across a grassy pasture in disarray. Then men came and began moving them and placing them upright next to each other. One by one the stones were brought together. Mortar was placed between the stones. Slowly a stone wall was being erected. There were Christians on the far side of the wall and Jews on the near side of the wall. The wall continued to be constructed, getting higher and going out farther in both directions. Soon the wall was impassible. The wall stood strong and served to separate Jews from Christians for a long long time.

Then, in the next scene of the vision, I saw a Christian come and sit down at the base of the stone wall. He began to weep. He was repenting over the many sins done against the Jewish people. His heart was broken. Then, another Christian joined him. Then another. Soon there were many Christians on the far side of the wall, weeping. Some were pacing. Others were sitting. Many lay down on the grass with their faces to the ground, mourning and weeping.

As I watched, the mortar that kept the stones together began to melt and get soft and gooey. The stones were no longer held together with the mortar. The Christians on the far side of the wall, and the Jews on the near side of the wall began to knock down the stones so they were laying flat. The stone wall that had been there for so long was no more.

I saw at the edge of this grassy meadow a wild, raging river. No one had been able to cross to the other side because there was no bridge. Then, I saw the Jews and the Christians working together as they began moving the stones over to the river’s edge. They laid the stones flat and began building a stone bridge across the river. The stones were the perfect building material to make this bridge. That was the end of the vision.