Latest Breaking News On - Simon ponsonby - Page 1 : vimarsana.com
Maor Kinsbursky/Flash90
As we approach Pentecost, the first of a two-part look at the significance of a feast the church has largely forgotten
The terrible, heart-breaking tragedy at Mount Meron in northern Israel, which claimed 45 lives with many more injured in the crush, is not new among religious festivals. Muslims have suffered far worse disasters at Mecca over the years. And it’s clearly not a punishment from God, though, as with all tragedies, it serves as a warning that, unless we too repent, we will all perish likewise – a point Jesus made in Luke 13:4.
But there is, I believe, misplaced devotion in the Lag B’Omer festival, where some 100,000 Orthodox Jews gathered to celebrate ancient sages who appear to have assumed a virtual god-like status. This strikes me as coming dangerously close to breaking the very first commandment:
IsraelMeccaMakkahSaudi-arabiaCape-townWestern-capeSouth-africaJerusalemIsrael-generalSyriaSimon-ponsonbyMt-hermon