What are the two topics that society says to avoid if you want to have a peaceful dinner with your extended family? Politics and faith. Well, in this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, co-hosts Carly Berna and Ezra Benjamin welcome Aaron Baer to talk about both. Why? Because it’s important stuff, and as Ezra puts it, hey, “we like to discuss!”
We value our right to vote, and, if we’re diligent, we perceive it as a serious responsibility. But how many of us are willing to get in the trenches and fight the fights? Thank the Lord some Believers do just that. Aaron Baer is one of them. Aaron is the CEO of Citizens for Community Values (CCV), Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization. He joins A Jew and A Gentile Discuss to share what it’s like to be a Jewish Believer and in the thick of things politically.
Aaron answers questions about:
- How he got involved in politics
- His background of coming to faith in Jesus from his Jewish background
- What it’s like being a committed Believer in the middle of American politics
- How he engages people on the other side of the political aisle who want to play by different rules
- How his support of Israel comes to bear in his day-to-day political life
- Will the U.S. remain a nation of Judeo-Christian values?
- How his perspective as a Jewish Believer affects his thinking and involvement with politics
- Navigating hot button issues like abortion while staying true to his convictions
- Raising a family as a Jewish Believer married to a Gentile Christian
- Advice for other couples where one is a Jewish Believer and one a Gentile Believer
- What faith-based issue should Americans be paying attention to regarding the upcoming 2020 elections
- Where to start if you feel a tug on your own heart to get involved in your own town but are turned off by the drama or intimidated by the process of breaking into the system
Along the way, you’ll hear Aaron’s take on: an explicit call upon the Church right now; the one question that every divisive issue in our culture today boils down to; the value of visiting Israel; and what’s at stake if Christians don’t come out of their bubble to recognize what’s going on in society today.
Words you might learn in this episode
Ohio’s Citizens for Community Values, Ohio’s Church Ambassador Network, AIPAC, Bostock Supreme Court case, secular Jews, Obergefell same-sex marriage decision, Chanukah bush
For more conversations around intriguing, relevant topics, check out additional episodes of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss wherever you listen to your podcasts or right here at www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org.