Saturday, June 19, 2010


















'You cannot be a refuge without first being a community'
To be honest, we didn’t know what a ‘community’ was. We didn’t know how to establish it. We didn’t know who it was to be a refuge for. But within a short period of time we had fifty-five people on the property, learning what the Kingdom of God means, living in poverty beneath the minimum standard of living established by the United States government. It was to learn in our severe surroundings what it means to live by our faith.
I’m talking about winters like Siberia, snow and frigid temperatures five months out of the year, without adequate housing, the access to food in previously known abundance and variety.

But, we drew strength from the proximal assurance from the brother and his family next door that we were in something glorious – together!
I cannot begin to tell you what that meant, or how profoundly we grew to appreciate and value each other – not by our ‘lovable’ attributes and virtues but by our unlovable characteristics and tendencies and habits which became exposed. What do you do in that kind of naked, fundamental situation – which we experienced daily?!
Oh, the exquisiteness of it all.

It must have been the same at Antioch, and everywhere else we read about. That’s how we began twenty-seven years ago. And, today we have about thirty-five people on that property, ten or eleven households. The character of the community today is different than it was in the beginning – when agonies and disillusionments and glories abounded!
Now, the visible realities of the world have made clear for whom this refuge awaits. I believe it is but one of many that are hidden and in preparation. A great many have even yet to be formed and assembled. And, for what? Jews in flight from persecution in North America, coming down from Canada because we are only a hundred miles from the Canadian border which is a very porous border, very open.

As I said, there are other such communities being formed to receive Jews in flight in the soon coming persecution that is already beginning now in many countries where Jews have enjoyed favorable conditions. Now, there are synagogues being burned. Jewish children are being beat up in the streets. And, other threats of death are commonplace in such countries as France, Germany, England and America. It will be worldwide. A 600-percent increase of violent anti-Semitic episodes was documented in one recent year in France where there is a large Islamic community. And, the authorities have said openly they are unable to protect the Jews…

But, know this: You cannot be a refuge without first being a community. It is only a matter of time when you need to consider this because the Time of Jacob’s Trouble has commenced with every indication that it will be worldwide, affecting Jews in every nation. And the demonic spirit of hatred as in the times they experienced during Hitler will now be worse and global.

- Sofia, Bulgaria (2002)

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