Bridges of Faith Podcast
Cindy Preston, along with other Christian and Jewish leaders, will have meaningful conversations to both celebrate, and openly share with respect, the fundamentals of our faiths. We will cover deep topics like views on the Messiah/Jesus, Antisemitism, worship, and more. The discussions are intended to be informative, peaceful, encouraging and bridge building.
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Episodes
Monday Oct 21, 2024
Monday Oct 21, 2024
Cindy Preston and Rabbi Neil Blumofe discuss the Messiah: What/Who is the Messiah for both Christians and Jews? Who do Jews think Jesus was?
Bridges of Faith
What is a “Bridge of Faith”? I think it’s a conversation centered around faith with the intended purpose to foster understanding, respect, trust, and ultimately relationship. It is through relationship that these things have the ability to develop and flourish. Imago Dei is a Latin term meaning image of God. Both Christianity and Judaism share a theology that every person is created in the image of God. It is with these foundational understandings that we enter into discussions, which will primarily be between Jewish and Christian leaders.
My name is Cindy Preston and I’ve had the privilege of working for a professional organization within the Conservative Movement of Judaism for more than 15 years. As a Christian, it’s been a unique gift to be emersed into Jewish culture since Judaism is the foundation of Christianity, and Jesus was Jewish. It’s been a blessing to be able to read the New Testament texts more from the original cultural context after observing the Jewish calendar, and seeing the festivals and holidays lived out. Before I read the Gospel accounts of Jesus and the disciples’ lives more from a 21st Century American lens.
I’ve also had the joy of being part of a church staff for the last five years. Working for both Christians and Jews has enabled some unique opportunities. One of which was to bring a local friend who is a Rabbi to team teach through the Three Festivals (Passover, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Booths), trying to peel back 2,000 years of layers to get a more nuanced perspective of the experience, life and times of Jesus. I’ve also been invited to teach several Bible classes via Zoom for a Conservative synagogue outside of Chicago, with the invitation to include truths about my Christian faith as they relate to the Torah portion. The experience in this Bible class was the impetus for this podcast.
These opportunities made me not only realize, but also articulate, that we all believe in and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, there is a big fork in the road when it comes to Jesus. The tendency in our current culture is to either ignore the fork in the road (pretend that differences don’t exist), or to blend the fork in the road (to not allow for distinctions). The objective here is to provide an opportunity for a third option – the building of a bridge between the two roads.
This is the intention and goal of having these interactions. For my Christian friends, the hope is that the Gospels and New Testament texts will take on a whole new vibrancy to them through a refreshed and informed lens. For both Christian and Jewish friends, the desire is to have a dialogue that results in understanding, respect and trust. That can only come through actual knowledge, not assumptions or stereotypes. These conversations are an opportunity to both celebrate, and openly share with respect, the fundamentals of our faiths without feeling stifled or pressured in any way. The biblical text and truth will be central, letting the authority of Scripture take the lead, not politics or culture.
Paul was writing to the church in Rome, but I think his words are also applicable. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (Romans 14:19) We will cover deep topics like views on the Messiah/Jesus, Antisemitism, worship. But the discussions are intended to be informative, peaceful, encouraging and bridge building. I pray that is so for those who have the conversations, and for those who hear them.