Unity through Repentance: The Journey to Wittenberg 2017
Appendix 7
Judensau Lament
By Richard Harvey
From Chapter 19:
What is the Judensau?
The German word literally means “Jew-pig.” Thirty-three of them exist in modern-day Germany, and nowhere else in the world. These medieval stone sculptures depict Jews being profaned by a pig in some way—intended, of course, to insult the Jews by putting them in association with an animal that God has declared unclean for them.
They are terrible.
The one in Wittenberg is the worst of all.
It is on the Stadtkirche, the City Church, the Mother Church of the Reformation.
And Richard sat under it for an hour.
And Richard wept.
Here is the lament that Richard wrote, as he sat under the Judensau that day.
Written in tears of pain – Wittenberg 15 June 2016
I sit on the steps by the side of the church
And I weep
In my heart I descend to despair and to rage
And I weep
My mouth cannot speak the unsayable words
As I ponder the depths of the pain and the shock
The horror and the rage and the anger and trauma
And I weep
A bell sounds the hour
The children pass by
The tourists and cyclists
The men at their work
The women on their way
And I weep
How could centuries of hatred be summed up
In such an obscene cartoon, a murderous joke
A scandalous, depraved image
Making fun of my people, my self, my soul, my Messiah?
How could Israel be so profaned among the nations
That the name of God himself, ha shem mephoras
Be turned into the Shame meant for us?
I weep
How can those who call themselves followers of Messiah
Worship in this place – when on the wall is such an obscene insult to His people?
How can those who say ‘That Jesus Christ was born a Jew”
Make Jewish babies breastfeed from a pig?
How can Jews believe the Jews’ Good News
When this building shows them wallowing in pig’s filth and excrement?
I weep
How could I worship God in such a place that has been so desecrated by such filth?
How could God be present in such a place where His name is so dishonoured?
Cleanse this place O Lord, redeem it, set it free from its legacy of hatred, contempt and abuse of your own character and people.
Change this place, O Lord, to be a place where your Gospel is truly proclaimed,
And Jewish people could feel welcomed, not despised
And Yeshua himself, the Jewish Messiah, could dwell in this place by your Spirit’s presence.
For godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret
But worldly grief produces death
Lord, have mercy on your people –on your people Israel, and on your church
Pardon us, forgive us, renew us, cleanse us, heal us, reconcile us, restore us
Lord have mercy
Yeshua Hamashiach Adonai – Rachem Na – Alai – Choteh .
Jew-Pig Mashup
After the 2016 meeting, Richard launched a Change.org campaign to collect signatures in support of removing the Judensau to a museum or other appropriate place.
When I heard about this campaign, I wanted to contribute in some meaningful way. So I created a simple video that “mashed up” (combined) Richard’s talk on the Judensau, with Marianna’s forgiveness on site, with Alexander Dietze’s wonderful music.
The video has been viewed almost 4,000 times …