Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.”
Psalm 122:6-7
It’s hard to watch the news from Israel. In the early 1980s, Yvonne, our toddler son Samuel, and I lived south of Jerusalem. We spent the
Thanksgiving holiday at the invitation of other Americans in Gaza. I was privileged to speak with some Arab nursing students (all male) in Gaza—very gracious and hospitable. We listened to lectures from Jewish and Islamic scholars at the ecumenical institute near Bethlehem where I studied. I had long conversations with Palestinians and Israelis. I studied Arabic in Bethlehem and Hebrew in Jerusalem. I’ve been back to Israel three times. Friends in Jerusalem hid in a bomb shelter when sirens went off. They are okay. In addition to articles about more than 900 Israeli deaths and 2600 wounded, the bodies of 1500 terrorists found, and the declaration of war, today’s Jerusalem Post has a practical article on what to take if you have to stay in a bomb shelter. Please join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and Gaza.
Dr. Sam