c. 1998 Religion News Service

JERUSALEM _ A golden sun rises over the ancient gates of this holy city. An Arab riding a camel and an ultra-Orthodox Jew walking to prayer flash into view as the words of the Prophet Isaiah are heard in the background:”I will set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem.” As Israel celebrates its 50th anniversary, a Jerusalem-based evangelical Christian group is launching a unique television magazine aimed at U.S. Christian audiences. The show,”Jerusalem Mosaics,”is the first of its kind to be both filmed and produced on location, according to its producers.

The first segment in the 13-part series is set to air this month (May) on Christian television stations around the United States, said Clarence Wagner, the program’s creator and co-host.

And while the approach is unabashedly pro-Israel, the show is a rich examination of Israeli places and people rarely covered in the daily news _ camel trekkers, Roman-style glassmakers, kibbutzniks practicing desert agriculture and vegetable dealers hawking wares in Israel’s colorful open air markets.”The secular news services promote an overwhelming amount of negative news on Israel,”said Wagner, who is also Jerusalem director of Bridges for Peace, an evangelical charity working in Israel to promote”greater concern for the land and people of Israel.” Bridges for Peace is associated with the Christian Zionist movement, which views modern Israel as vital to the fulfillment of biblical prophecies concerning Jesus’ return.”Our audience … really believes that God has his hands on this nation and they would like to see issues and scenes that they can connect with in a more positive way,”Wagner said.”Mosaics”is not just another travelogue to an exotic location. Each magazine segment packs a theological punchline.

Christianity’s Jewish roots are explored, Wagner said, so that Christians can better understand their faith in the context of the ancient Israelite culture in which the Bible was written.

In one segment, Christians are introduced to Jewish prayer shawls to gain insight into a New Testament passage in which a sick woman seeks to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment in order to be healed. In another, the links between Passover and Easter are explored.

The show also explores archeological finds and the contemporary practice of ancient arts and crafts such as glass blowing and harp building. Christian music peppers the series, most of it video clips of major Christian entertainers who have visited the Holy Land.

Some controversial issues _ such as the regional water shortage _ will also be discussed on the show, but from a perspective supportive of Israel.”The secular press always finds the most mean-hearted persons to interview. We want to look at the positive thing that are being done,”Wagner said.

Wagner added that the $600,000-series has been nearly a decade in the planning. Unique to the half-hour program is the format, he continued.”It’s all shot on location. Everything is about Israel.”

Eds: Jerusalem Mosaic is scheduled to be aired Sundays at 5 p.m. EDT on the Family Network and Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. EDT on the New Inspirational Network. Starting dates and times may vary according to region.)

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