The Bearers of God’s Presence

“The relationship between God and Israel was sometimes tempestuous, often strained, but never broken. The Jewish people would be the bearers of God’s presence in a sometimes godless, often unjust and violent world. In eras that worshipped the collective – the nation, the state, the empire – they spoke about the dignity and sanctity of the individual. In cultures that celebrated the right of the individual to do his or her own thing, they spoke of law and duty and mutual responsibility.”

Radical Then, Radical Now, pp. 51-52