Responding to God

Jerusalem has a syndrome. In fact it’s called the Jerusalem Syndrome, annually affecting an estimated 50 – 100 tourists who believe they are the Messiah. The men’s division of psychiatry of Herzog Hospital, in the outskirts of Jerusalem, has admitted several hundred of these messiahs in the past 20 years.

There’s a joke in psychiatry: If you talk to God, it’s called prayer. If God talks to you, you’re nuts. Pesach Lichtenberg, a leading expert at Herzog, observes that God seems to get quite chatty around Easter, Passover and Christmas – the peak season for the syndrome. Starting with awe, this messiah complex may progress from visiting holy sites alone, submitting to purification rituals, and in extreme cases, shouting sermons – publicly claiming that redemption is at hand – believing they are Jesus.

Most effective treatment? “Get out of town,” according to a psychological professor, adding, “When the person leaves Jerusalem, the symptoms subside.” Hmmm.

At the Stone of Unction, symbolizing the spot where Jesus’ body was prepared and wrapped after taken down from the cross, men kneel with lit candles, women kiss the stone, and many cry. Profoundly moving. 

However, in actions like this we are compelled to search Scripture to discover God’s revealed will and how He wants us to respond. Is it His intention to have more messiahs than his son Jesus? What responses are humanly devised and what are God ordained? Does God communicate audibly to individuals today? Is the Bible His playbook both then and now?

A clear summary of God’s expectations was in practice within a few weeks after the church’s establishment. The Acts2:42 shortlist is:

Follow the apostles’ teachings
Fellowship with other believers
Participate regularly in Christ’s memorial meal – the Lord’s Supper
Pray  

Whether you’re in the Holy City, Hong Kong or Harborside Christian Church, you have the Creator’s prescription for a scriptural foundation and spiritual balance  – avoiding seasonal syndromes. Responding to God can be made complicated . . . or scripturally simple.