From the Director: Borough Park Symposium
By Kai Kjær-Hansen
The latest issue of the LCJE Bulletin had impressions from the Eighth International LCJE Conference at Lake Balaton in the summer of 2007. The main articles in this issue are from the Borough Park Symposium (BPS), held in New York in early October, with the theme “The Gospel and the Jewish People”.
The speakers at the LCJE conference were partly Christians and partly Jewish believers. At the Borough Park Symposium there were only Jewish believers – half a dozen Christians had been invited as observers. I have no objection to that. It is, naturally, the right of any group to make such decisions when they plan a conference.
But it is even more important to stress the fundamental unity in faith in Jesus among Christians and Jewish believers – despite all differences. And that is the case whether it is Christians who speak with Christians, or Jewish believers who speak with other Jewish believers at a conference.
I believe that all can learn something from this.
I have chosen to let both David Sedaca and Lisa Loden give their descriptions of the symposium, even if it results in some overlaps. David Sedaca is LCJE Latin America coordinator and a member of the BPS Steering Committee, and Lisa Loden, Israel, is a former member of the LCJE International Coordinating Committee.
We also bring David Rudolph’s contribution, “Guidelines for Healthy Theological Discussion”, which not merely indicates the planners’ wish for a fruitful discussion at the symposium but which is also worth reflecting on and being implemented in other contexts.
Also in an LCJE context.
The reports from the symposium show that rather diverse views were presented on the understanding of what gospel and salvation mean for Jews.
It is my hope that Jesus-believing Jews will continue to proclaim that there is salvation only in Jesus’ name. The concept of a “hidden Messiah”, who saves the Jewish people without a confession of Jesus as Messiah and Lord, is a frightening one when you consider what Israel’s God has offered Jews (first) in Jesus from Nazareth.
Kai Kjær-Hansen