Aftertaste of War

Shavei Tzyon | Return to Zion Congregation

Haifa, Israel

 We would like to share with you a few of our reflections, drawn from the days we’ve just lived through. The ceasefire that followed the twelve-day war with Iran brought a breath of relief ― but also an uneasy anticipation filled with questions. Will this quiet hold? Will war return? We do not know. But as human beings and children of God, we are learning to trust Him in the midst of this uncertainty. We are striving to dwell on what is good, to look upward, expecting mercy and protection from the Most High.

Twelve days spent in bomb shelters were like a crucible of the soul. It was a time of fear, but also a time of grace. We can say with confidence: faith is the anchor of the soul. Many of our brothers and sisters from the congregation found themselves not just seeking refuge but becoming refuge for others. In crowded public shelters, they became vessels of God’s comfort, bearing peace where fear reigned. It was not that they were without fear ― but that they carried light in spite of it.

Today, physicians and mental health professionals speak of a wave of depression, cracked teeth from night-time grinding, a rise in panic attacks, even an increased number of suicides. These are merely outward symptoms of the pressure the people have endured. Fear, sorrow, anxiety ― all of these have passed through our land and left their mark, not only on buildings and bodies, but deep inside, on people’s hearts.

And yet, into this silence, a voice speaks. Words from the prophet Joel have begun to stir in our hearts like a prophetical response of healing. A cry. And a hope: 

“Be glad, people of Tziyon! Rejoice in Adonai your God! For He is giving you the right amount of rain… He makes the rain come down for you, the fall and spring rains… I will restore to you the years that the locusts ate… You will eat and be satisfied, and praise the name of Adonai your God, who has done such wonders for you. Then My people will never again be shamed.” (Joel 2:23–26, CJB)

Today, we hear in these verses, not as a promise of abundant bread and oil, but a promise of inner restoration. For it is peace, emotional balance, faith, and hope that have been most damaged. Yet we believe that God’s rain will fall, even on the driest of souls. It will comfort, renew, and give life again. His Spirit will touch the hidden wounds, will bring joy where sorrow sat, and peace where anxiety once ruled.

Tragically, in this latest war, 29 Israelis and 4 Ukrainians lost their lives. Many more were injured. At least four rocket attacks struck areas where hundreds, even thousands, could have been present: one in Ramat Gan, where up to 20 buildings were damaged; another near a hospital in Be’er Sheva, a place of healing for thousands; another in central Haifa; and the last hit a chemical plant. Three people died there, but the potential devastation could have reached into the thousands. In other areas, windows shattered, and people were wounded, but miraculously no one died. Under normal conditions, such outcomes defy reason. But seeing the wreckage with our own eyes, we can only lift our hands and hearts in praise ― for God’s mercy, and His invisible shield of protection.

So, we ask you to please continue in prayer for:

• Israel, its leaders, and its believing communities

• All those who are weary and wounded and in need of God’s restoring touch

• The expansion of God’s Kingdom, even in the midst of pain, testing, and uncertainty

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