Where God Was Born - Part 3

Some final reflections on Bruce Feiler's "Where God Was Born"
Feiler goes to Iran after Iraq & Israel. Persia was one of the great empires of the Ancient World. We often remember it from it's almost conquest of Greece at the height of its power. For the Bible, the Persian empire was a source of incredible blessing. Its domination was benevolent. The Persian destroyed by Babylonia, allowed the Jews to return from exile, and paid for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple. The Book of Esther reflects the dangers of the empire, but also the general tolerance and prosperity of its dominion.
If I'm not interpreting him to freely: Feiler had some interesting thoughts about the origins of the concept of the Messiah. Cyrus the Great changed the world. He brought peace and prosperity. His empire encompassed most of the civilized world (not counting the Western Hemisphere). He's a model for a ruler who bring understanding, justice and benevolence to the world. One leader who spreads peace... in part, perhaps in visionary imagination, of the model for the Messianic vision of the prophets?
Feiler reflects on his quest for spirituality and meaning. He is insightful about the tensions in the late Second Temple period between a physical, land based (Israel/Jerusalem), Temple-focus of spirituality and a Torah, land-less, democratic based approach to Jewish life.
I think these same tensions are reflected in Judaism in the early 21st Century. We have physical synagogues with budgets, staffs and programs in tension with changes in the American community where people want Torah and spirituality within personal experiences of their own choosing. I would add to that thought, that just as Judaism rejuvenated itself from its spiritual conflicts and crisis 2000 years ago, with creativity (and God's help) it will find new ways to create meaning and holiness today and into the future.