This is a guest post by Ami
My husband presented me with a clipped ad from the Jewish News of 3rd December and asked me to apply for the free boxed set of 2 CDs of the LSO performing Handel’s Messiah. I studied the ad, which he clearly could not have done (On the other hand, he also gets excited when he answers the phone and someone tells him he has won a free holiday whereas I threaten to report them for breaching the DPA as we are on the telephone preference list).
The clues to this too-good-to- be -true offer were there for the Jewish News ad department (and my husband) if they took the time to read:
“In his work, Handel tells the story of Y’shua’s life. But most of the texts used to drive the story were selected from the prophetic books of Isaiah, Haggain, Malachi and from the Psalms.”
Y’shua??
And why is this 2007 recording, with bonus DVD, free to me?
“-it is a gift from Christians as an expression of love for the Jewish people”.
OK, where do I apply? email Revival at messiah@revivalmedia.org
Revival? hmm. There must be a website. Here it is:
“This year Revival will place advertisements in the UK Muslim and Jewish press, offering a complete version of Handel’s Messiah. It will be accompanied by notes explaining each of the Bible texts on which the oratorio is based. The aim is that Jesus should be presented in a way that is both attractive and compelling. Meanwhile Intervarsity has come up with their “10 commandments for sharing the Gospel with Muslims”. It’s a helpful guide for Christians in regular contact with Muslims:”
Point 5 is a tricky one: “Show respect for their customs and for Islam.” given what Islam has to say about trying to convert Muslims. You are going to need point 7 – “Be lovingly bold”…
I told my husband there were not going to be any free CDs.
At the foot of the letter page in this week’s Jewish News is a shamefaced correction:
Last week’s issue of the Jewish News carried an advertisement for a classical music CD from a company called Revival Media. Unknown to us at the time, Revival Media is in fact an evangelical Christian group. The Jewish News does not endorse its views in any way and apologises for the offence caused. ”
Jewish News is so contrite, an apology is not enough. It must make further amends. To cancel out this offence, it will give the tainted ad fee to an appropriate deserving cause. What could be more appropriate than this:
“We will be donating the fee received for the advertisement to Chabad’s Operation Judaism Anti-Cult & Missionary campaign.”
