About six months ago, David and I discovered a couple of websites that allow us to watch American television on our computer. After almost a year of absolutely no TV, David and I have caught up on our favorite shows and then some. One totally unbelievable show we enjoy is called Walking Dead, a series about a Zombie apocalypse.
Well, the other night we discovered another totally unbelievable show called Falling Skies, a series about an alien apocalypse. Both shows are entertaining as long as you don't ask too many logical questions, like wouldn't aliens who have been able to travel light years through space have better technology than what they are using? You know, questions like that…
David and I were talking about all these apocalyptic shows coming from the US and wondering what's going on in our homeland to inspire such bleak futuristic scenarios. I think it stems from the economy and that fact that Americans know deep in their soul that global capitalism as currently practiced is unsustainable.
Many of our friends expressed concern when we decided to move to Israel, since American news depicts Israel as a war zone. What's more, many Americans believe that Israel is Armageddon central. Israel has a lot of problems, some are uniquely Israel, some are inherent in the Middle East, and some are problems nations around the world share. But being in Israel, and living under the threat of attack from Syria, Lebanon, Iran, etc, doesn't feel like Armageddon at all. In fact, I feel more hopeful living in Israel than living in the U.S.
Instead of an apocalyptic fantasy, I have a different vision. I see something I couldn't see in the Home of the Free and the Brave, but here in the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey and see it clear and strong.
Over time, I see relations improving between Israel and its neighbors. Instead of making war, I envision Israelis and the Palestinian people learning how to forgive and other people of other nations learning the same.
Rather than fighting over oil, the countries in the Middle East begin to harness sunlight for a renewable energy source. From there, I can imagine countries of the world working together for clean air, clean water, restoring the oceans, and replanting forests. Like David Ben Gurion, I can see the desert bloom even beyond Israel into Egypt and further.
I see politicians and business executives leading with integrity and compassion instead of self-interest and greed. I imagine a world where sharing is more important than consuming; where boys and girls, men and women, gay and straight, believers and non-believers, liberals and conservatives are free to grow, to explore, to dream, and to strive toward their greatest potential. To paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr.: 'I have a dream where people are judged not by the color of their skin, or their gender, or their looks, or their weight, or their age, or their IQ, or their religion, or their level of education, or their country of birth, or their social status, or their net worth, but they are judged by the content of their character'.
Yep, that's the world I see. It'll never happen, you say? Neither will a zombie apocalypse.
Jona Taylor is a semi-retired massage therapist and a freelance writer living in Haifa, Israel. To read more about her adventures in Israel go to http://bumblingthruisrael.wordpress.com
Well, the other night we discovered another totally unbelievable show called Falling Skies, a series about an alien apocalypse. Both shows are entertaining as long as you don't ask too many logical questions, like wouldn't aliens who have been able to travel light years through space have better technology than what they are using? You know, questions like that…
David and I were talking about all these apocalyptic shows coming from the US and wondering what's going on in our homeland to inspire such bleak futuristic scenarios. I think it stems from the economy and that fact that Americans know deep in their soul that global capitalism as currently practiced is unsustainable.
Many of our friends expressed concern when we decided to move to Israel, since American news depicts Israel as a war zone. What's more, many Americans believe that Israel is Armageddon central. Israel has a lot of problems, some are uniquely Israel, some are inherent in the Middle East, and some are problems nations around the world share. But being in Israel, and living under the threat of attack from Syria, Lebanon, Iran, etc, doesn't feel like Armageddon at all. In fact, I feel more hopeful living in Israel than living in the U.S.
Instead of an apocalyptic fantasy, I have a different vision. I see something I couldn't see in the Home of the Free and the Brave, but here in the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey and see it clear and strong.
Over time, I see relations improving between Israel and its neighbors. Instead of making war, I envision Israelis and the Palestinian people learning how to forgive and other people of other nations learning the same.
Rather than fighting over oil, the countries in the Middle East begin to harness sunlight for a renewable energy source. From there, I can imagine countries of the world working together for clean air, clean water, restoring the oceans, and replanting forests. Like David Ben Gurion, I can see the desert bloom even beyond Israel into Egypt and further.
I see politicians and business executives leading with integrity and compassion instead of self-interest and greed. I imagine a world where sharing is more important than consuming; where boys and girls, men and women, gay and straight, believers and non-believers, liberals and conservatives are free to grow, to explore, to dream, and to strive toward their greatest potential. To paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr.: 'I have a dream where people are judged not by the color of their skin, or their gender, or their looks, or their weight, or their age, or their IQ, or their religion, or their level of education, or their country of birth, or their social status, or their net worth, but they are judged by the content of their character'.
Yep, that's the world I see. It'll never happen, you say? Neither will a zombie apocalypse.
Jona Taylor is a semi-retired massage therapist and a freelance writer living in Haifa, Israel. To read more about her adventures in Israel go to http://bumblingthruisrael.wordpress.com
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