By: Stella Strain
Date: 12/19/2023
Since the Israel-Hamas led conflict broke out in October 2023, my daily prayers have never left the Middle East. There are two Bible verses that come to my mind when I am writing this blog today. It is Luke 1:78 and 2:14.
“Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high.” (Luke 1:78, ESV)
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (Luke 2:14, ESV)
I love traveling. In the last 30 years, I have visited over 25 countries or 40 cities in the world. If someone asked me to share my top unforgettable travel experiences, I would say my trip to the Middle East in February/March 1996. Among my 100s of trips, that was the only trip I lost my luggage. It was never found. The airline was not able to locate where they mis-shipped my checked in luggage when I arrived in Jordan. It was the Ramadan month, which made it harder to trace my precious cargo in the in-transit stop from Bahrain. Back in the 90s, there was no smart phones, eSIM, or even the internet. I was traveling with my best friend in the church. We did not realize that our adventure was just about to begin.
In Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, suicide bombs in February and March 1996 killed 65 people, including three US citizens (Note 1). We were in Jerusalem when a suicide bomber killed 18 people in a bus. A few days later, another suicide bombing took place at the shopping center in Tel Aviv. We were at that mall for ice-cream the day before. God spared us again and we just missed it. We only learned about the news from the local tourist guide when we were on the way from Gaza to Egypt. I did not know how bad the attacks were until I arrived home. I guessed the guide did not want to scare the tourists. Nevertheless, I still sensed what the war meant to that region when I saw the tanks on the way to Egypt passing through the Sinai Peninsula. I was told they were residuals from the Six Days War. Losing the luggage is nothing to compare to losing the lives of the innocent. The sunset was beautiful along the Mediterranean Sea. It was the tender mercy of our God that I could see the sunrise again in the next morning when I arrived in Cairo.
“Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high.” (Luke 1:78, ESV)
My friend’s grandmother was a Holocaust survivor. She was very little when her whole family was terminated in the concentration camp. She once told me that living in Israel was like living in the heaven. Some of my classmates in graduate school and team members at my workplace are Palestinians. Their scars were not healed when they told their stories to me. The rivalry is deep-rooted. Twenty-seven years have passed since I visited Israel and the terrorist attacks continue. Many governments are still looking to play a role as mediators. Millions of the Chosen People are still waiting for the Messiah to come and praying for peace on earth. Do we not know that the Savior has come? The angels already proclaimed the good news to the shepherds 2000 years ago!
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (Luke 2:14, ESV)
As a Christian, how well do we take that message and have the burden to share the good news to those around us?
Note 1: source from US Department of State Archive U.S. State Department, Official Web Site
About the author: Stella Strain was born and raised in Hong Kong and has lived in US for 20 years. She was an activist for CPM (Chosen People Ministries) and CWI (Christian Witness To Israel) during college. Currently she is working as the US financial controller of a global retailer.
(In Jerusalem, a few days before three suicide bombs took place)
