Listener Comment - ..Selling Coca-Cola in Israel

A disappointed salesman of Coca-Cola returned from his assignment to Israel.

A friend asked, "Why weren't you successful with the Israelis?"

The salesman explained, "When I got posted, I was very confident that I would make a good sales pitch. But I had a problem. I didn't know how to speak Hebrew. So I planned to convey the message through these three posters:

First poster : A man lying in the hot desert sand totally exhausted.

Second poster : The man is drinking Coca-Cola.

Third poster : Our man is now totally refreshed.

And then these posters were pasted all over the place.

"Terrific! That should have worked!" said the friend.

"Indeed it should have!" said the salesman.

"But no one told me they read from right to left!"

Thoughts from Eliyahu ben David:

If you just finished reading the joke immediately above you are probably laughing right now. I know I was after I read it. I also realized there is a real point to the joke. That is - there is a huge gap between Hebraic thinking and our Greco-Roman common culture. That gap often leads to huge misunderstanding. I know that here at Tsiyon we are constantly trying to bridge that gap - to communicate Hebraic-based truth that doesn't easily fit into the Greco-Roman mind. That is our biggest challenge. Passover is such a good example of that gap. So many around us do not see the relevance of keeping Passover, while it is vital to us. In one sacred meal we celebrate our national deliverance from Egypt, our personal deliverance from sin, death and the world by our Passover Lamb - and even our future deliverance just ahead in the Second Exodus. Bunnies and painted eggs are both inappropriate and trivial compared to this!  And yet, many sincere believers still just don't know the difference. I pray that we, who do know the difference, can find the love, grace and concern for those around us to do what we can to communicate the profound meaning of this Passover to others, as we are moved, strengthened and encouraged by it ourselves.

Dawn and I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours all of the profound and abundant blessings of this Passover season.

Blessings and Shalom,

Eliyahu ben David