Shoulder to Shoulder

Join Doug and Pesach for this classic episode from March, 2022. They'll be back next week with an all-new episode of Shoulder to Shoulder.

Recent years have seen a drastic increase in the persecution of Christians all over the world. According to recent reports, 2021 was the worst year on record. Almost all of the most dangerous places for Christians today are Muslim countries. Raymond Ibrahim is an author, historian, and journalist who has written extensively about these issues. In this conversation, Raymond goes into the history and theology of Islam and places the current atrocities in historical context. (This is part one of a two part series; in episode 27 we present a very different viewpoint.)

Flying solo, Pesach first shares a spiritual message for July 4th, and offers a beautiful thought from both the Bible and from Laura Ingalls Wilder about how faith in God is the highest expression of freedom. Pesach then sits down with two US combat veterans who are alumni of Heroes to Heroes, a program that brings combat vets suffering from moral injury and PTSD to Israel on a journey of spiritual healing. They share their powerful stories of their own brokenness, and the hope-giving power of their journey in the Land of Israel.

David Rubin was driving with his 3-year-old son in the backseat... when his car was showered with a hail of bullets from Palestinian terrorists. Both David and his son were shot, and, after their miraculous survival, David created the Shiloh Israel Children's Fund in order to heal the trauma of children who are victims - either physically or emotionally - of terror. Listen to David's breathtaking story of how he went from teaching public school children in Brooklyn to becoming the mayor of the biblical town of Shiloh in Israel, his harrowing confrontation with terrorism and the ways it changed his life, his intense faith, the reasons he and his family choose to live in an area where terror is almost expected, and his belief that the United States can learn from both Israel's successes and its mistakes. You won't want to miss this inspiring story of faith and resilience.

Last week, Pesach explained his theology of Jewish-Christian dialogue... and that conversation led to significant discussion on social media. In this episode, Doug and Pesach go over some of the responses to that episode, and discuss what both Jews and Christians hope to achieve through interfaith dialogue. How can Christians better internalize the strong Jewish resistance to any conversionary activity? Is it reasonable to expect Christians to ignore the Great Commission when they interact with Jews? Can Jews respect Christians as Christians, and can Christians respect Jews as Jews? It's a fascinating and timely conversation, predicated, as Doug explains, on true mutual respect. Plus: the US State Department is "deeply troubled" about Israeli plans to add new housing units in the West Bank, and Pesach isn't taking it well.

Producer Scott sits in with Pastor Doug away and the subject is... PESACH! Delving into foundational teachings of 12th century theologian Maimonides about Christianity from a Jewish perspective, Pesach shares his own journey into the Jewish-Christian relationship. In this wide-ranging theological and eschatological conversation, Pesach defends his interfaith work from the challenges and concerns voiced in his own community.

Doug and Pesach sit down with Rabbi Dr. Elie Feder and Rabbi Aaron Zimmer, two rabbis with extensive math and science backgrounds, to discuss their new podcast series Physics to God. Elie, a college math instructor, and Aaron, with a background in physics and commodities trading, have spent the past decade researching the way recent discoveries in the world of physics argue for a Creator. They share their story and give us a taste of this important new podcast series.

With producer Scott celebrating his son's wedding, this week we present a special lecture by Pesach. Delivered at a symposium at Canada Christian College in Toronto, Pesach's talk explores the challenge of adjusting our theological positions in light of historical changes, while still respecting the great thinkers who came before us.

Doug and his wife, Sam, make a big decision to pull their kids from public school, and to home school them instead. What's wrong with public school? Are they inviting social problems into their kids' lives? What are the potential benefits and dangers of public schools? Why not just enroll in private school instead? And what's the Bible's viewpoint on home schooling? Pesach and special guest Lisa Nehring of True North Academy dig into what drove them to this decision, and encourage Sam and Doug to share some of the hard conversations that led them to this important step.

If you care about your kids' education - even if you are determined not to make any changes - you won't want to miss this thought-provoking, enlightening, and fun conversation.

This week Pesach sits down with Prof. Tim Yoder of Dallas Theological Seminary and Dr. Brian Gamel of Truett Seminary, two of America's leading Christian institutions of higher learning. Tim and Brian are in Israel touring the country with a group of Christian academics, led by Pesach. They reflect on their trip to Israel, the encounter with the Jewish people, and the theological implications of the changing relationship between our faiths at this time in history.

Pesach interviews Stuart Force, father of US combat veteran Taylor Force, who was murdered in Israel by Palestinian terrorists. Stuart tells the story of Taylor's murder, the campaign to create and pass the Taylor Force Act into US law, and about the new lawsuit being brought against the Biden Administration for its violations of it. But first, Pesach shares some thoughts on the rebirth of the trait of Jewish courage over the past century.