Today at 20:00PM the sound of a Siren was heard throughout Israel for one minute. For one minute everything stopped and the people of Israel stood one minute in the memory of its children who died in the Israeli wars. The next 24 hours, people will take their time to think and remember their loved ones that are no longer here with us. The reality here in Israel is such, that almost every family has been affected by the cost of the wars. While Israel’s independence was declared 60 years ago, she is still fighting for independence. The reality of war is very real here, and as a result the reality of pain, the pain of loss, is very real. For the families that have lost their loved ones, it is not just a day of remembering and dealing with the pain. Indeed, it is a daily struggle, a deep pain that refuses to go away.

Over 10 years ago, I left Israel because of this pain, after losing several friends during my time of service in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). I now find myself back in Israel for the first time in ten years during this Remembrance Day. While the pain and the memories are still very much real, I also have great hope and something to look forward to. My hope is found in the Word of God and His promises and I am longing to see the day of the words of Isaiah coming true in our days, “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people, the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more”. Isaiah 69:19

Would you join me in “praying for the peace of Jerusalem”, praying for the day that the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.