On Conflict and Terror

I awoke this morning to the unmistakable sound of an explosion. My eyelids popped wide awake and my heart nearly jumped from my chest -- I was certain the university had been the target of a terror attack. I sat up in my bed and looked over to see if my roommate had been awoken by the blast. After a few seconds I realized that he, too, was no longer sleeping. I asked him what the big bang was, and he replied, “If it was anything bad, we would have heard sirens by now.” He and I both thought that the explosion was a bombing. Thankfully, though, the university had been hit by lightning, and not by a Muslim extremist.

I’ve noticed since coming here that I’m jitterier than usual. I jump at loud noises, from the snapping of bubble gum in peoples’ mouths to the popping of grocery bags blowing across the road as they get run over by motor vehicles. The most annoying and frustrating blasts, in my opinion, are the firecrackers that some Israelis light off in the streets for holidays and the beginning of Shabbat. I have no idea why anyone living in a nation of conflict would light off firecrackers that sound at best like gunshots and at worst like exploding grenades. I’m not sure if Israelis are incredibly adept at discerning bomb blasts from every-day exploding sounds or if I’ve just got a lot to learn. Either way, it’s a great testimony to the Israeli spirit that they’re able to live here without losing their wit’s end or giving in to the frights of terror.

Continuing on this cheery vein of thought, it seems like everyone around here carries a gun. At the entrance to most restaurants, cafes, and stores are armed guards who search people and their bags. It is not uncommon to ride the bus and see a person dressed in street clothes armed with a semi-automatic weapon. I’ve heard that it’s illegal for regular Israelis to own a gun, but many here seem to carry around pistols like their lives depend on it. Israeli soldiers are everywhere too – from the market entrances to the Hebrew University hallways. Most soldiers are my age (3 years of military service for guys and 2 for girls are mandatory here), and they all carry big weapons. Thankfully, most of the time their guns require the ammunition clips to be loaded before they can be effective.

Living in such a military-oriented, conflict-conscious culture bothers me sometimes. It seems like this city and this nation are always on the edge of war and that the present circumstances could always escalate into something bigger. When I get back to the States, I’ll be much more thankful for the stability and safety of DC and my home in Midwestern Ohio. I look forward to going to Wal Mart without having to turn over my backpack to an armed guard for searching. I’ll appreciate going to a street-front restaurant and not having to keep my eyes peeled for suspicious cars.

Being in Israel also makes me look forward to a time when war and conflict won’t be a part of life anymore, anywhere. As a believer in Christ, I’ve got an eternity of peace with God to look forward to regardless of what goes down here on earth. Zion’s Harp #259 goes, “There is a truly blessed land Where purest joy is known, Where hate and strife are ever banned, For Love rules on the throne! For love rules on the throne! No worry entereth that land, No trouble gnaws the heart; There darkness fades at light’s command, And joy makes pain depart! And joy makes pain depart!” Amen to that.