War

We live very close to a British war cemetery. It is kept up very nicely and always looks very pretty. The grass is always a beautiful bright green, which is almost unheard of here.

So we recently went to visit the cemetery and walk around. I enjoy cemeteries. It's like there are hundreds, if not thousands of stories to be told - when each person was born, how long they lived, if they have family members buried next to them, and so on. I particularly like it when headstones have a little saying on them, either something their loved ones are "saying" to the deceased, or maybe a motto the deceased had lived their life by. Beautiful either way.

But war cemeteries tend to be a little more generic. Besides a name and some dates, at most they will have a symbol of that person's religion. The symbols are usually quite small, so we may not think much of them. But that one little symbol tells so much about that person's life - not only what they believed in general, but it most likely even gives us a glimpse into where or who they turned to for comfort while facing the reality of death on the battle front.

Jerusalem is unfortunately the home to many, many wars. This city has been occupied for thousands of years, and has had countless battles. A historical death toll is unthinkable. The craziest part of the whole thing is WHY. I'm afraid that far too many of those lost lives were because this city has so much religious significance. I don't have to think long to know what our loving Heavenly Father would think of that. :(

But here we are, walking alongside green grass and beautiful trees and flowers, on a hillside above this ancient city. Seeing all the headstones in this ONE cemetery, from this ONE war, just makes me shake my head in confusion. Why are we still fighting?

I love this country and this city, but I will never get used to the fact that there is a horrible, yet somewhat passive-aggressive war going on here. People are losing their livelihood, their freedom, and some are losing their lives. And I'm afraid it's only getting worse.

So for now I will continue to enjoy the freedoms that I have, and teach my children to do the same..... because I don't know what else to do.