I've shared with some of you that it’s been a tense couple
of weeks in the neighborhood. Several weeks ago, a horrible driver who turned
out to be a terrorist, drove into the platform of the Light Rail at Ammunition
Hill, killing a 3 month old and later a second person who succumbed to their
injuries in the hospital. Then there was
a shooting of a Knesset member. Last week there were more attacks, confrontations with the Jerusalem police, another
terrorist car attack at the light rail, and a tragic “accident” planned and
executed by a member of Hamas. This Tuesday saw the attack during morning prayers at a synagogue that left four dead
and a policeman gravely injured and packed my facebook and inbox with concern messages from
home.
The university is of course concerned with the welfare of
their students, so we have gotten regular updates regarding heightened security
and awareness as well as locations we should not frequent. We are all aware that we live in a potentially
dangerous city, so it is safe to say we all pay closer attention to our
surroundings, and avoid those places we’re asked to avoid.
But I ask, are we really safe anywhere? I’m watching the
insanity that continues to unfold in Ferguson Missouri from my dorm room in
Jerusalem, and wonder, do people stop going to St Louis because of it? Even
when the danger intrudes into the city and shows up at Rams games or the
Symphony, how do we respond to the danger and evil at home?
I can’t help but see the correlation between the dangers and evil in our world and the culture drifting further and further from our faith and heritage in scripture. As the children of God forget the God who loves them and submerge themselves in the world around them, things go wrong, often in dramatic and devastating ways.
I can’t help but see the correlation between the dangers and evil in our world and the culture drifting further and further from our faith and heritage in scripture. As the children of God forget the God who loves them and submerge themselves in the world around them, things go wrong, often in dramatic and devastating ways.
Happily for me, you probably see more news from Israel than
I do. I don’t have a television so I’m
not seeing instant replays over and over or hearing sound bites that sell
advertising for the networks mired in the 24/7 news cycle . I don’t have a radio so I can’t hear
immediately where an attack is going on.
I can hear the fireworks explosions from my dorm room at night (along with
Molotov cocktails the current assault weapons of the protesters) and I admit
that is troublesome because I know what is going on, but life goes on all
around me.
I would ask that you continue to pray for Israel and all of her people. I have come to believe that the word complicated was originally created to be used here, not for personal relationship status’ on social media.
I would ask that you continue to pray for Israel and all of her people. I have come to believe that the word complicated was originally created to be used here, not for personal relationship status’ on social media.
Remember to visit the Hand in Hand website and facebook page to keep up on the way they are working through these times, not ignoring reality, but facing it head on.
Unhappily, I see more bad news online both from Israel and
the United States, so now I’m going to spend some time looking up adorable
kitten videos on the internet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgcIBRxjBjY
http://www.handinhandk12.org/
Well said. Prayers for peace abound.
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