The Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse was defaced recently. A sign was plastered to the Playhouse door in response to a new progress Pride flag that hangs proudly at the front of the theater. “Whatever God calls ‘sin’ is nothing to be proud of,” the sign declared, followed by a reference to Isaiah 3:9, in which the prophet rebukes the people for “proudly” acting sinfully.

Throughout history, the Bible has been used to advance points of view in both constructive and destructive ways. Sadly, whoever the perpetrator was who vandalized the Playhouse also corrupted the true meaning of Isaiah’s message. Indeed, were Isaiah alive today, in keeping with the prophetic tradition, he would have railed against this thoughtless act of violence. I encourage the person who defamed the Playhouse to heed Isaiah’s call: “They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” — Isaiah 11:9.

Rabbi Jonathan Lipnick

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