Watching, Wondering, Wrestling

Can Both Be Right

I stumbled across a clip from The Dr Daf Show, a sort of roundtable between Christian women and those who once shared their faith but now practice Judaism. I was captivated instantly. Their exchange was graceful and deeply honest, yet neither side softened their convictions. “We’re both looking for a Messiah,” one woman said. “You believe it’s his second coming. We believe he hasn’t come yet.” That line stayed with me. It wasn’t just theological, it was postural. One tradition looks back with faith, the other forward with longing and somehow, both feel sacred.

Holding Tension Without Resolution

I can’t say I struggle with the concept of Christians vs. Jews, whose right and whose wrong, because I feel they can both be right. Often, when a debate of this nature occurs, I feel like it’s impossible for one side to be wholly wrong and the other wholly right. But this exchange felt precisely right from both sides. Neither was prepared to step away from their foundational “I’m right and you’re wrong” stance, yet both questioned, responded, and asked with grace.

Translation Shapes Belief

One theme that lingered with me is the way scripture is translated and how those translations shape belief. One example that lingered with me was brought to my attention by a colleague of mine who is Jewish.

Genesis 1:1 Comparison

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…

Torah: In the beginning of God’s creating the heavens and the earth…

That subtle shift from ‘God created‘ to ‘God’s creating‘ changes the rhythm of the beginning. One feels like a completed act; the other, an unfolding process.

Sacred Names and Reverence

Another example is the use of names. Jesus, for instance, is in fact Yeshua. The letter J wasn’t in use at the time. Jewish tradition takes the commandment not to use the LORD’s name in vain with deep seriousness. Instead of pronouncing the personal name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14 (YHWH), they substitute:

• Adonai (“Lord”) in prayer
• Hashem (“The Name”) in everyday speech
• Elohim or El in broader references to God’s power or attributes

That exchange led me to purchase a Tanach. It reads back to front, a format I still struggle with. The print is also pretty small. I later bought the Artscroll English Tanach: large print, front to back. I now compare the Christian Bible with the Tanach, though of course, that can’t be done with the New Testament.

Why Is the New Testament Rejected?

I’ve wondered why the New Testament is rejected by Jewish tradition. In my limited understanding, I have a few musings:

• It’s in Greek. How did that happen? How could it be considered sacred or true?
• Yeshua (Jesus) was Jewish. The shift to “Jesus”, shaped by Greek and Latin, feels like more than a linguistic evolution; it quietly distances him from his heritage, reframes his identity, and obscures the intimacy of his place within the Jewish story.
• The New Testament narrative places blame on Jewish leaders of the time. I wonder how that framing affects Jewish reception and whether it obscures broader political and spiritual dynamics.

One Messiah, Two Postures

What if they missed Him the first time?

Christians and Jews speak of the Messiah, but they’re often describing different hopes entirely:

For Christians, the Messiah has come, embodied in Jesus, crucified and resurrected, with a promise to return.

For Jews, the Messiah is still awaited, a future figure who will bring peace, justice, and restoration.

Watching the video, I realised how much weight each tradition places on this expectation and how that weight shapes everything else. It’s not just a theological difference; it’s a difference in posture. One looks back with faith, the other forward with longing. And somehow, both feel sacred.

Listening Between the Lines

To me, in my heart, I feel like they are both right. Christians and Jews. I’m not trying to settle the debate, just to sit with it, and maybe let it shape how I listen.

If you’ve ever wrestled with these questions or found beauty in the tension, I’d love to hear what’s been stirring in you too.