Dates are an incredibly versatile foodstuff. They can be picked and eaten ripe, dried like a raisin, baked into any number of pies or pastries, or turned into silan – the sticky syrup that is taking the global market by storm. What was once a fairly obscure homemade treat in Israeli homes has become a major export you can expect to hear more of!

Dates are one of mankind’s oldest and most familiar foodstuffs. Grown by humans for more than five thousand years, this delicious treat has been known as the "bread of the desert” and the "cake of the poor” beloved for both its sweet taste and widespread availability thanks to its intrinsic ruggedness. It’s a beautiful, tasty fruit that grows in some of the harshest, hottest climates in the world - it makes sense that it has been considered a blessing by different cultures for centuries! 

As you might expect, the date occupies a special place in Israeli culture. As one of the seven fruit species prevalent in the nation during biblical times (along with olives, grapes, figs, pomegranates, barley, and wheat) it is strongly associated with biblical history. The dates grown in Israel today are much the same as the dates Jesus and his disciples would have eaten (in fact, dried dates were a very popular travel food in ancient times, perfect for anyone on a long trip to spread the gospel). The date has been used as a symbol of hospitality in Israel since ancient times, a welcoming treat to share with guests and visitors. Even today, the humble date graces the 10-shekel coin, that’s how important the crop is to Israeli culture. And while popular as a snack, it’s the syrupy silan that has really captured the interest of Israeli chefs and international attention!

Silan is a labour of love. Made by slow boiling specific varieties of dates picked just a tiny bit before they are fully ripe for just the right flavor and painstakingly wringing the juices from them. That juice is further reduced from there until it becomes a sticky, thick syrup. This is not something you just whip up in an afternoon. 

There is an art to making silan at home. It requires patience, care, and practice. Just like the perfect bowl of pho, or a meticulously baked brioche, home-made silan is an all-day event. One that every Israeli swears their grandma does the best! 

But production advancements in the 1980s found ways to expand the process and reliably hit the complex flavour notes that make silan such a favourite. These advancements allowed silan to hit grocery store shelves as a staple in Israeli homes, a lovely alternative to honey, molasses, or even caramel. Today, silan is used in a variety of dishes, both elaborate and simple. From marinades and roasts, to simply smeared over some bread with a little tahini for the Israeli equivalent of a PB&J sandwich! 

What has really brought silan to the world stage though is an increasing awareness of what we eat. As many health-conscious foodies seek alternatives to refined white sugar, silan offers a tempting alternative. With a sweet but not sickening flavour profile that features complex notes of coffee and bitter caramel to balance it out, it’s a welcome substitution for many recipes and beverages that typically rely on sugar. It is also a great source of antioxidants and vitamins A and B, making it healthier as well. 

Vegans are also getting into the act. Silan mixed with a bit of water can be a surprising substitute for eggs that few would expect, making it perfect for those who want to avoid the use of any animal products in their baking. It’s also becoming something of a secret weapon for gourmet chefs and restaurateurs who are using silan’s more complex flavour profile to give their dishes a little extra kick!

While we’re sure many Israeli homes still insist the best silan is their granny’s, the rest of us can now enjoy this delicious treat worldwide! 

 

As we make our way through the third month of COVID-19 precautions, many of us do so with weary hearts. Even as some businesses open back up, a heavy weight still hangs over the country and the entire world. We’re still being told to keep our distance from each other as best as possible, to only go out when it is essential, to avoid large groups like birthday parties, restaurants, and yes, church. It has been a struggle to suddenly go without these cornerstones of life. But it has also been an opportunity. If we must endure these conditions, we have to assume it is because there is a higher purpose to them and reflect on what that could be. As Christians, there are many lessons we can take away from the COVID-19 crisis. 

A major recurring theme throughout the gospel is the fact that we, as humans, are not in control. We cannot comprehend God’s plan for us at the best of times, and we’re certainly no better prepared to do so during a crisis. Proverbs 3:5 encourages us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" precisely because our own understanding and perspective is so limited compared to God’s. This is a something every Christian knows, but it takes a massive society upheaving moment like this to bring the full weight of that truth to bear. Plan as we might, ultimately God has the final say in all matters.

As Christians, we have to learn to embrace that truth, as scary as that can be sometimes. During times of uncertainty like now, this is more true than ever. We should of course strive to take the precautions we can (keep the essentials stocked, limit our exposure, be smart about what we do and where we go) but there are limits to what we can do. Worrying about what will happen afterwards can only bring pain and anxiety. Mathews 6:34 says it directly "Therefore, don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” So learn to see the difference between what we can control and what we can’t, and trust in God to take care of the things we cannot.

COVID-19 has been a wrecking ball. It’s taken lives, broken families, and disrupted every facet of our lives. But we can’t allow ourselves to give into desperation. We need to face these challenges head on, and part of doing that is appreciating the things we do have rather than wallow in what we’ve lost.

In the case of this disease, and any other major crisis, you should always be looking for things to appreciate. Yes, social distancing has been hard, but for many of us it’s also been an opportunity to bond with family members in new ways. We’ve had to rely on each other to get through this and forge even stronger bonds than ever. Some of us have been helping our neighbours who can’t get out for one reason or another or have been on the receiving end of that help. This is a beautiful thing, this crisis has shown who we are as Christians. Many of us have also had the chance to catch up on projects around the house, to start new hobbies, or even just gain a new perspective on what we appreciate and enjoy in life. As many of our typical distractions and chores fall away, we’ve been able to focus in on what matters, what really makes us happy.

No matter how terrible the situation, there are always traces of God’s grace and goodness to be found. Every day is a gift, no matter what obstacles face us, so focus on the things that make you happy, that show you God’s love for us, and treasure them. Find joy wherever you can and take that attitude forward as we move out of this crisis and back towards normality.

Online sermons, virtual prayer groups, text groups instead of church groups. When faced between the prospect of isolation or seeking a technological solution, many of us have learned to depend on devices and software we never would have associated with the Church in a million years before all of this started. And while online streams and the infinite 1s and 0s of the computer world will never be a substitute for actual, real, face-to-face community, it has helped, or at least somewhat helped, to fill the void of prolonged isolation and social distancing. More than that though, as Christians, we should find these technological solutions bracing because they show that no matter what the situation is, what obstacles we face, we can still find ways to worship God.

That’s the real thing to take away from this. For as silly as it may seem to log into a Zoom prayer group, or boot up a stream of a pastor preaching from his hastily assembled living room studio, the spirit, the desire to worship is there. Even in the midst of sickness and suffering, hardship and pain, we still yearn to worship God and commune with fellow Christians. That is a truly beautiful thing that shouldn’t go unrecognized.

When this is over and we can once again fill the pews and embrace each other in our arms, we shouldn’t forget this spirit and take what we have for granted. We should come out of this period of uncertainty charged and energized, and ready to worship with even fuller hearts than before. 

They say you don’t know what you have till it’s gone. Now we know. And when we get it back we should treasure it like it deserves.

 

This protracted period of social distancing and caution has been difficult on many of us. It’s heartbreaking to go without seeing family and friends for such a long stretch of time, and stressful to be without access to many amenities we typically enjoy. But as we know from scripture, times of adversity are also opportunities. In this case, it’s an opportunity for both spiritual, and literal growth.

This is the perfect time to cultivate a garden, a small herb box on the windowsill, or even a small plant. Whatever your space, budget, and ability allows, what matters is finding a way to focus on what is important in our lives.

This might seem like a non-sequitur. What does gardening have to do with growing as a Christian? But there is a real connection to be made in caring for the earth and natural splendor God has created. It is a reminder both of our responsibilities as Christians to be a positive force for good wherever we can be, and of God’s sovereignty over the earth. Growing something, helping to bring new life and abundance where there was none before, is a reminder of the miracle of creation and how lucky we are to be a part of it. 

Gardening, whether you’re tending to a large crop or a single flower is an act of patience. In a world defined by instant access and immediate feedback, gardening is something that cannot be rushed. There are no short cuts taking a plant from seed to bloom. It’s a reflective process, one that takes patience and perspective, two qualities that are in all too short supply these days. 

It’s also never a guarantee. Gardening can be uncertain. Not every seed takes, not every plant produces the fruit we want or the amount we expect. This is also a lesson, the world does not work to our timetable or our expectations, it works to God’s. While nobody enjoys disappointment, gardening can teach you to accept it and move on. One plant might fail, another will bloom even more spectacularly - we do what we can but ultimately the final say is always God’s.

There are other practical lessons to be learned from gardening. Thrift is one. Taking the scraps of one meal (the last nub of ginger, the ends of green onions), planting them in the soil, and eventually harvesting them to be their own meal is a wonderful thing. It’s an incredibly rewarding process that teaches us to never be wasteful with the gifts that God has given us.

It’s also joyful! Especially in this time when supplies in grocery stores are limited and just popping out to a store or restaurant isn’t an option for many. Growing your own herbs and fresh vegetables can be a welcome way to spruce up your meals! There is something incredibly satisfying about kicking up your pasta sauce to the next level by picking off a few leaves of basil you grew in your windowsill, or even better, making the sauce from your own tomatoes. God gave us a world of flavor and abundance, enjoy it! Celebrate it!

Gardening can also give us structure in a time when that is absent for many of us. Having a routine to check the garden or pots, water them, maybe do some light pruning here or there can help provide direction and stability in a very uncertain time. If you’ve been spending your days listless and worrying, even looking after a small plant or two can help improve your mood. Anxiety and fear left unchecked can become an obstacle between you and God, whatever helps reduce them is an undeniably good thing. 

Perhaps one of the most positive aspects of gardening is that it always gives you something to look forward to, something to mark time with. A sapling planted now is not much to look at. By the end of the season it might only be a twig. In a year, if you’re lucky, it will be a stick with a few shoots. But while you’re not looking, somehow, in a few years that little stick will become a tree that is bearing fruit. A few more, and you can hang a swing off of it for whichever little ones are in your life at that time, be they children or grandchildren. By the time those kids have outgrown swings, that tree will provide lush shade with long branches and healthy leaves. We plant the seeds of our future today.

Yes, we are living in some very trying times right now, but we can trust in God that there are better days to come. Give your future self something to look back on, a positive thing to come out of a dark time. Cultivate today for a better tomorrow.

 

Caesarea is a seaside port city in Israel built in a distinctly Roman style. Herod (yes, that Herod) ordered construction of the city shortly before the birth of Jesus and within a period of 12 years, the previously barren and empty space became one of the most important cities in Israel right alongside Jerusalem. Dedicated to Caesar Augustus, the port city was designed to replace Joppa as the new gateway into the Mediterranean. 2000 years later, we can still visit the city to witness the surprising genius of Roman port engineering, view captivating biblical artifacts and ruins, and get a feel for what life would have been like during Jesus’ life. In fact, while Caesarea may not be considered an exceptionally large city today, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Israel.

If you were to look at pictures from Caesarea, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were looking at Rome or some neighbouring province, not a city in Israel. Indeed, the architecture of the city is like a very miniature Rome, designed to feel like a home away from home for Roman officials at the time. Looking at the city today we can see a Roman style aqueduct, a hippodrome, and an amphitheatre. 2000 years ago, the city was home to over 50,000 people (half Jewish, half gentile) and would have been even grander and more impressive. It’s no surprise that it became such a massive center of political and economic power in the region.

Today the "ruins” of the city are still surprisingly functional. The port’s breakwaters are still effective, and boats can still launch from the city. The hippodrome track doesn’t see chariot races anymore, but the track and spectator seats are still there, standing the test of time, the site of thousands upon thousands of races (and grimly, executions and blood sports). The seacoast theater in particular is most impressive. Not only does it feature that classic Roman design straight out of a swords and sandals film, but it works! The acoustics of the theater really do amplify the volume projected off stage, carrying voices far beyond what you’d think you’d be able to hear in an open-air theater near the water. We take it for granted today with our modern understanding of sound waves and acoustics, but think about what an incredible accomplishment that would have been 2000 years ago. 

But why is Caesarea considered important among Christians? For that, we have to look to the life and sacrifice of Jesus. Remember, Caesarea was built as a tribute to the Romans and flattering Roman design and aesthetic. So, it makes sense that a man like Pontius Pilate would set up office there. This office wasn’t where the trial of Jesus took place, that was in Jerusalem, but it still provides useful context to how Roman rule impacted Israel at the time of Jesus’ gospel.

It was also a key location for the disciples with several notable events occurring in and around the city. It was in Caesarea that Peter baptized Cornelius, a Roman Centurion who converted to Christianity. This baptism is especially important in biblical study because Cornelius was the first gentile to convert and receive baptism, setting an important precedent that all could be baptized into the faith. Caesarea was also one of the places where Paul spread his gospel, using the port city to travel to many other Mediterranean cities. He would later be imprisoned for two years in the city after appealing to Caesar to hear the charges brought against him by ideological enemies hostile to his gospel. Caesarea became a major center of early Christian learning, once holding the largest Christian library in the world.

All of that history is right there to explore, and yet Caesarea is even more generous, sharing new mysteries and wonders with us to this day! In 2015, divers off the coast of the port city found the largest trove of ancient gold coins ever discovered in Israel. Like something from a dream, over 2600 coins were found in a sunken ship, still gleaming beneath the waves. Lost over a millennium ago just off the coast, the coins were stamped with the mark of the Fatimid Caliphs, minted in Egypt or North Africa. There are several theories as to why such a hoard of gold was being transported, it could have been a tax collection vessel that sank, or a treasury boat carrying the salaries of a military garrison stationed in Caesarea at the time. But those are just theories based on the time and markings of the coins, they could have just as easily come from a merchant ship that sank, or the lost haul of a pirate vessel (well, maybe that's a little more far fetched).

Caesarea is an incredible site of living history. A place where we can clearly track the lines of the politics and culture that made up the world Jesus lived in. While there are other cities that are more relevant to His life and gospel, few other locations in the world will give you a sense of what it was to be a Jew living under Roman governance as the New Testament was coming into being. 

 

The Netherlands in 1942 was not a safe or happy place. Invaded by the Nazis, the population kept under the brutal heel of an occupation force, the population turned against itself with some resisting while others openly collaborated to save their own skin. It was a dangerous, uncertain time where the slightest mistake could get you killed.

And Corrie ten Boom had just welcomed a Jewish woman she didn’t know into her house. A true act of Christian compassion and mercy, but one that made her a criminal in her own homeland.

You have to understand what exactly it meant to shelter a Jew at this time and in this place specifically. The Beje house where Corrie and her family lived was literally half a block away from the police headquarters. The police were actively collaborating with the Gestapo, any murmur or rumor would lead them straight to their door. The punishment for sheltering or aiding Jews could not have been made any clearer by the Nazi occupying force – imprisonment and execution for everyone involved. In a city made desperate by food shortages, forced and underpaid labor, uncertainty, and infighting there was no end to the number of people who would give you up or cast accusations on you just for a loaf of bread or to merely deflect attention from themselves.

By taking in this stranger, Corrie placed her life, her sister’s life, and her father in harms way. But she did it. She did it because she knew it was what God expected of her. And then she did a whole lot more.

Corrie did not content herself with saving just one person. No, she got involved with local underground efforts. The family jewelry shop became a cover, a contact spot to talk to and pass messages between resistance members. A secret room was built in the Beje house, hidden behind a false wall and big enough to hold six people at a time, a regular hotel. Corrie began taking in a rotating group of endangered Jews and resistance members who needed shelter. 

Her background in charity work proved invaluable at this time. With deep connections in the community and knowledge of likeminded people, Corrie was able to secure crucial supplies no one else in the resistance would have been able to get. For example, ration cards were worth more than gold while starvation and hunger ruled the streets of Haarlem, and the Nazi occupation refused to issue them to Jews. Corrie had years previously worked with a family who had a disabled daughter through her charity efforts. That girl’s father, Fred Koornstra, was a bureaucrat who was placed in charge of a ration card office. These were people who knew and respected each other, and when Corrie asked Fred if she could have some extra ration cards, his answer was "how many.” According to Corrie she meant to only ask for five, but when she opened her mouth "the number that unexpectedly and astonishingly came out instead was: 'One hundred.'” She left with an arm load of life saving ration cards she gave to Jews across the community saving an unknown number of families from certain starvation.

Sadly, eventually the Nazis caught wind of what was going on. An informer in the community, one of their own, tipped the Gestapo off and the home was raided. Incredibly, they never found the secret room and the terrified Jews inside. Sadly, they did find excess ration cards, resistance materials, and other contraband. More than enough for the Nazis to arrest the entire family on the spot.

Dark days followed. Corrie, her older sister Betsie, and her father Casper were imprisoned. Their lovely father, the smiling watchmaker who loved his work and gave so much to his community died within ten days of imprisonment. Corrie and Betsie endured beatings and torture but never told the Nazis where to find the hiding place or sold out anyone else in the resistance. The sisters managed to stay together, eventually ending up in the Ravensbrück concentration camp where Betsie also perished in 1944.

But Corrie survived. She was eventually released from the camp and returned to a ruined, empty home. It’s the kind of horror that could break a person. Nobody would blame Corrie if she became bitter, if she walled herself up and never again put herself out there on behalf of someone else again. But Corrie’s clear eyes and true faith led her down a much brighter path.

Somehow STILL thinking of others even after her own horrific ordeal, she set up a rehabilitation center for concentration camp survivors. She worked with fellow survivors to heal the mental and emotional wounds of their trauma and reclaim their lives. Incredibly, despite witnessing and experiencing the evil of the Nazis firsthand, Corrie had the strength and love in her heart to advocate for reconciliation. She saw forgiveness as the best way for her country to heal after enduring their turmoil and had no desire to see more innocents suffer in retaliation. 

In an act of almost unimaginable grace, offered a helping hand to collaborators who had bent to the Nazis during the occupation. Her reasoning was that many of them were just desperate people who survived the only way they knew how. She didn’t want vengeance, she instead offered forgiveness to the very kind of people who had her family imprisoned and killed. That is the kind of radical forgiveness that is only possible through Christ.

Corrie ten Boom gave everything she had and more to help her fellow man.  Her inspiring story would be recounted in both the novel and film of "The Hiding Place” and her accolades would include induction into the Righteous Among the Nations and being knighted by the queen of the Netherlands. But her greatest legacy would always be her teachings. After the war, Corrie traveled the world for more than 30 years to spread a vital message - "there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.”

 

It is a rare and beautiful thing to see true, radical compassion in this world. To see someone devote themselves to the most vulnerable and downtrodden among us, to care deeply about their fellow man even when it means putting themselves at risk, is as rare as a shooting star. Corrie ten Boom was one of those people, and her acts of radical compassion and faith saved more lives than we can know. 

Corrie came from relatively normal roots. Born the daughter of a watchmaker in 1892 in Haarlem, Netherlands, her family was a memorable part of their community. Living in the Beje (pronounced Bay Jay) house above her father’s jewelry store, they were a fixture of the neighbourhood, a family everyone knew. From her father’s penchant for getting so fascinated by a tricky repair job that he would sometimes forget to charge customers, to their active participation in the Dutch Reformist Church, the people of Haarlem knew the Booms were a kind and generous people. Sincere believers, the Boom’s frequently opened their doors for foster children and made an extra seat at their table for neighbours who didn’t have enough to make ends meet.

Corrie took these lessons from her parents to heart, taking after them in more than one way. First the inspiration from her father to pursue watchmaking herself, a trade that was utterly dominated by men in the early 1900’s. Nevertheless, Corrie proved herself a deft and able hand when it came to sprockets and gears and became the first licensed woman watchmaker in the Netherlands in 1922. Already quite the accomplishment, Corrie wasn’t content to just make a quiet living, she believed she had a civic and human duty to her community. Taking her earnings, she opened a Youth Center for teenage girls in the neighbourhood, leading them in religious teaching, performing arts, and useful craft and practical experience to help them as they entered adulthood. She also began an involved charity effort for the mentally handicapped, working with the city’s most in need to assist them in living full, happy lives free of suffering and exploitation. 

This was a good and fulfilling life. She had a proud vocation, a close family, and established good works in a grateful community – but it was not to last. While Corrie was building up her community, the Nazis were putting cities to the torch and spreading their foul ideology of hate across Europe. When the Netherlands were invaded in 1940, Haarlem fell like every other city. The jackbooted thugs took one look at the girls Youth Group and shut it down immediately, and their eugenic designs directly targeted the mentally ill as "degenerates” to eliminate. For everyone living under the new Nazi occupation, it was time to keep their head low, time to not rock any boats or stand out in anyway. But Corrie wasn’t that kind of person. She kept helping the vulnerable through the occupation. She provided food and money when possible, small but meaningful lifelines in a very dangerous time and place.

But then a knock at her door in 1942 changed her life. It was a small, skinny Jewish woman holding a suitcase. Neither Corrie nor any of her other family members knew this woman, she wasn’t an old friend or an acquaintance she met back in school, she was a Jewish stranger in a time when talking to a Jew could easily be considered "conspiring with the enemy.” But why was she there? The woman explained that her husband had already been taken away to a fate no one knew for certain. Her son was in hiding, he became involved in the underground and the Gestapo was onto him. And now they were on to her, asking questions around her apartment building. She took as much of her life as she could carry in a suitcase and fled, knowing that staying in one place meant certain death, and having no where else to turn she went to a family in the community known for helping others. She went to the Booms because there was nobody else.

Corrie took her in immediately.

It was a decision that would change her life from that moment on. In that instant, she placed herself and her family directly in harms way for the sake of a stranger. It was a decision Corrie would never once regret, no matter how much it cost her – and the price was steep.

Check later this week for the rest of the story. 

COVID-19 has completely flipped our lives upside down. Easy conveniences and little freedoms we’ve always enjoyed, like being able to stop at a grocery store without fear or meeting a friend for coffee at a bustling café, have suddenly been stripped away from us. So many of us have had to make incredible, life-altering adjustments in the span of only a few short weeks. 

Some of us are trying to work from home, juggling homelife and work through patchwork systems and managing the best we can. Some have been abruptly laid off and their family’s future cast into uncertainty. Others working in an "essential service” are suddenly facing a more demanding and dangerous job than ever. Doctors and grocery store clerks alike are being asked to risk their lives to keep our society functioning. 

It’s a time of stress and uncertainty that has many of us reeling. The only thing we have personal control over is how we react to this challenge. Will we face this crisis with anxiety and fear, or use it as an opportunity to spread joyfulness and gratitude? Will we allow ourselves to wallow in bitterness, or put our faith in God and remember that He is in control and is always in command of His divine plan? COVID-19, quarantine, and social distancing are all tests of our faith. We need to rise to the challenge.

Selfishness has been a major story of this virus. From price-gougers cleaning out stores to re-sell hand sanitizer and toilet paper on the street, to non-essential businesses threatening their employees to still come in despite a close order, to foolish spring breakers gathering at beaches and bars and bringing the virus home. A lot of people have used this moment of crisis to show us exactly how small and selfish they can be. 

A major way we can be a force for good in this crisis is by countering this selfishness. Look for ways that you can help others, especially those at a higher degree of risk than you, or for whom isolation cuts even deeper than most. If you have elderly neighbours, leave them a note in their mailbox with your number and an invitation to call if they need anything or just want to chat. If you need to make a grocery run, check in with your family and friends if they need anything you can pick up at the same time. Limit exposure by making the most of each grocery trip while reaffirming the bonds and connections you have in your life.

In this time of isolation, it’s the little things that matter. Being able to lend a hand, or even just an understanding ear, to a friend or neighbour in need can go a long way. This is a real "living our values” moment for us Christians. What kind of people are we when things look bleak? Do we turn inward and cold, only making sure we’re protected? Or do we do what we can to continue to spread joy and compassion the way Jesus would? Coming together in even small ways and making sure to care for our neighbours during this trying time will make us all feel a little less lonely and anxious.  

Being stuck at home doesn’t mean we have to give up on fellowship, but it does mean we need to be a little more creative. If you’re not able to get to Church, bring the word into your home by joining in on a service stream. Get together with your prayer group over Skype or a similar program. Text your friends and family on a regular basis. Just because you can’t get together doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch and be an active presence in their lives. The worst thing we can do in a time like this is give into despair and let the relationships that matter in our lives wither on the vine. 

This is also a great time to nurture the relationships you have inside the home. Prolonged close quarters with the entire family can cause some friction (as any home with teenagers are likely already finding out) but it can also present new opportunities. If you’re working from home, this is a great chance to spend lunch with your spouse. If the kids are stuck inside all day and bored, this is a great time to dust off the old boardgames, or play catch in the backyard, or start some home project they’d be interested in. Make the most of this extra family time, it might just be a gift in disguise.

One thing that COVID-19 can teach us is perspective. Even just these past short weeks have been cause enough for many of us to step back and examine just how lucky we are in life. Grocery shopping is often thought of as a chore, another item on the to-do list after work. But now, with limited availability, empty shelves, and worrying gloves and facemasks everywhere, it’s hard not to recognize how much of a luxury a normal trip to the grocery store really is.  Same with ordering from a restaurant or going into work normally and without fear of contamination. These are small things that we usually take for granted that suddenly seem very important in their absence. 

We can certainly mourn for these lost freedoms, but we should also use it as a chance to take stock. To look at the rest of our lives and appreciate what else we have. These are uncertain and, yes, frightening times, but we still have so much. We are so blessed to live in a developed first world country that has a social system that can respond to this crisis. We are blessed to have ways to connect with each other even when we need to keep our physical distance. And above all, we are blessed that we can always turn our worries over to the Lord and place our faith in Him, knowing that all things, even pandemics, happen for a reason. 

This is a time to reflect and grow. This is a chance to re-prioritize, to fully recognize what is important to you and your family. Don’t waste it being bitter about the new strains on our lives. Use it to be grateful for what we had before, what we have now, and the new clarity to what we should be doing with our lives.

 

As we grapple with COVID-19 in North America and adjust to major life and societal changes, it’s easy to forget that this is a global pandemic. Israel has also had to confront the disease and adopt incredible measures to halt the spread of the virus and flatten the curve of infection rates. True to form though, they’re doing it in a distinctly Israeli fashion.

So, what is life like in Israel under COVID-19? Mostly quiet and a little surreal. In other words, very much like it is here. Israel was very aggressive in its early efforts to combat the spread of the virus, taking immediate measures to limit public gatherings, closing all non-essential businesses, and cancelling almost every major event in the country. Extreme yes, but also very safe.

The once bustling street markets, where for decades, vendors have cajoled, haggled, and joked with each other, are now mostly empty. Israel’s famous café culture has ground to a halt overnight. Patios that would normally be full of friends gossiping, old men arguing, and quiet people watchers soaking in the atmosphere now sit unoccupied. No one is breaking the rules no matter how much they miss their espresso. Even Israel’s world-famous beaches stand desolate, not so much as a frisbee in sight.

Perhaps more eerie and startling though are Israel’s many religious and historical sites. Last week, workers donning hazmat suits and breathing apparatuses scrubbed and sanitized the Western Wall in Jerusalem, removing prayer notes and limiting access to the site. Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity has been closed to the public this Easter, an unthinkable prospect that has become our new reality. Many other locations have been closed completely in a move that has hammered home the severity of the virus and the life-changing steps that must be taken to combat it. 

These major disruptions paint a grim picture, but are the people of Israel panicking? No, they’re making do and staying as positive as they can under the circumstance. With stay-at-home orders and quarantine conditions keeping the majority of Israelis home, families are using the time to connect and tackle some home projects. Some have been tending their gardens and fruit trees (a popular Israeli home addition) or growing windowsill herb boxes to help provide the home with fresh food and flavor without risking a trip to the market. President Reuven Rivlin took to Facebook to encourage families to use the time to read and bond, demonstrating with his own reading of the Israeli classic "A Flat for Rent.” From the response on social media, it seems a lot of families have followed his lead with their own nightly readings.

Viral videos have documented impromptu balcony sing-alongs among cooped up apartment dwellers, and moments of strange beauty such as wild animals making themselves at home in the now empty airports and streets. This is a time of great change, but also one of community and resilience. These are two things Israel knows a lot about.

Israel as a nation is well prepared to deal with an outbreak like this. For one, they have a strong cultural spirit of facing hardships together. From the legacy of the holocaust to the ongoing instability and conflict in the West Bank, the Israeli people know what it is to confront horror and fear. While a virus is not the same as a violent attack, the methods used to meet it (sacrifice, cooperation, and shared support) are similar and it’s how Israelis have dealt with many challenges over the years. Take the kibbutz system, it was formed under the idea of coming together for the common good. The first kibbutz built in the young nation of Israel featured multiple families tending the same crops, building infrastructure in the same community, sharing the same lodgings in some cases. All to build something out of nothing in the desert. That takes dedication, that takes a true commitment to the spirit of community, and that tradition has carried forward in Israeli society. You can see it in the compulsory service in the IDF to the number of people who cheerfully report unearthed artifacts and historical discoveries to the Israeli Antiquity Authority without a thought to keeping it or selling it themselves. 

It’s also a nation with a strong technical backbone. Over the past few years, Tel Aviv has become the silicon valley of the East and the Israeli medical sector is responsible for several recent breakthroughs. While the country is in lock down, the best minds Israel has to offer have gone to work on ways to combat this virus. From creating better, cheaper testing kits and working on potential vaccines, to making the stress of isolation less burdensome by offering virtual tours of some of Israel’s most interesting location they’re focused on solutions to this problem. Israel isn’t the kind of nation to back down from a challenge and we should look to that spirit of determination in ourselves as we face this crisis!

While the looming uncertainty of what the virus means and what we need to do to combat it doesn’t show any sign of being over in the near future, Israel seems prepared to handle it. Life has changed for sure, but it hasn’t ended. This is not the first storm Israel has had to weather. We should strive to adopt the same kind of resilience here at home. 

An incredible sight, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the most holy places in the world.  If you’re lucky enough to visit the Holy Land, it should absolutely be on the list of places to see. 

Commissioned by Constantine the Great, the Church of the Nativity was built between 325–326 on the site that is believed to have been the birthplace of Christ. The original stable and manger may be gone, but the Church was raised specifically to safeguard and keep the site for future generations to come and enjoy. Surviving war, fire, and even hostage situations, the Church has seen it’s share of excitement. But amazingly though, after being rebuilt between 527–565 following damage done during the Samaritan revolts, the Church has remained remarkably unchanged. While additions have been built (and destroyed) in the years since, the core of the Church is basically the same as it was a millennium and a half ago! This makes it an astounding connection to early Christendom and Jesus’ life on Earth. 

Today, the Church of the Nativity is operated and overseen by three separate Christian denominations including the Armenian Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. This is the result of complicated political and cultural shifts over the years and long negotiations. However, for the regular visitor, these arrangements are merely interesting pieces of trivia. Today everyone, no matter your denomination or background, is welcome to visit and worship in this incredibly special house of God.

The Church of the Nativity is divided up into three main areas:

The heart of the Church is the Basilica of the Nativity, a jaw droppingly magnificent chapel that is marked by ancient history. With a high ceiling braced by columns of Corinthian pillars, it feels like somewhere from out of this world. Combine this with the splendor of the high altar, and the special trap doors that allow visitors to see through to original parts of the mosaic floor, and you’ll understand why people from all over the world want to see this Church.

But for as grand as the Basilica is itself, you might be surprised by its entrance. Called the "Door of Humility” you’d be forgiven for thinking the entrance to the Church was some disused closet or storage area. Only 120cm high, most people have to stoop low to enter through to the Church. When you look at the surrounding area, it appears that there used to be a grand arch that served as the doors, but was sealed off to only leave this tiny passage. There are a number of theories as to why this was done, but the most popular belief is that it was done to prevent mounted horsemen from entering the Church on their steeds!

Below the Basilica is the true draw of the Church, the Grotto of the Nativity. This sacred place is believed to be the exact birthplace of Jesus. It is a powerful and immensely spiritual place to reflect on the true love of Jesus and the full weight of his sacrifice for humanity. It is not at all uncommon for visitors to become overwhelmed at the sheer magnitude of it all.

The Grotto itself is small, as one might expect. The place of Jesus’ birth is marked on a white marble floor with a 14-point star which is surrounded by 15 silver lamps representing the three Christian communities. Inside the star is a circular hole, visitors can reach in it to touch the stone that is said to be the original stone that Mary laid on when she gave birth to Jesus. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to touch history like this, to feel a small sliver of Jesus’ life solid, complete, and here for us to experience. It’s the kind of thing a person would never forget.

Finally, we have the Church of St. Catherine. The adjoining church is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria and built in a more modern Gothic Revival style from the rest of the Church of the Nativity. Being the most modern of the areas in the Church, this is also the area where major events and gathering are conducted. This includes the annual Christmas Midnight Mass, a major event for millions of believers around the world. 

If you ever travel to Israel, chances are you’ll be staying in, or at least stopping by Jerusalem. Bethlehem is only 8 small kilometers from Jerusalem, barely a 20-minute car ride away. To come that close without actually seeing the Church of the Nativity would be a miss-opportunity anyone would regret. So, plan early and schedule the time to come and see the Church!

 

There are many heroes of the Holocaust. Brave men and women of all kinds. Martyrs who gave up their lives for others. Crafty spies and fearless soldiers who undertook great risk to break the chains of bondage and save the innocent from a fate of cattle cars and gas chambers. There are also babysitters. Babysitters like Ida Brunelli who found themselves in an impossible place and rose to the occasion. A hero just the same as the others.

This story starts with Yuzzi Galambos, a spirited young woman. A dancer and natural performer, young Yuzzi was a girl with a romantic heart and a deep abiding wanderlust. When she met a 35-year-old Hungarian singer, Kalman Toth, who wanted to take her to Italy, it seemed like a dream come true. For a time, it really was. The two meandered around Italy, going from one city to the next in search of a stage to perform and an adventure to be had. Their love bloomed and soon the couple had three children together.

But the evil brewing in Nazi Germany would soon upset their idyllic lives. In 1940, travel in Italy became more difficult, and the couple fell under increasing police scrutiny. Kalman was torn away from his little family, forcibly deported to Hungary where his story becomes muddy and unhappy. He enlisted in the army but was soon hospitalized for unclear reasons. Yuzzi and Kalman stayed in contact through letters, but in ’42 the letters from Kalman stopped. It’s believed he died at this time.

Yuzzi, alone with three children struggled to provide for them. Dancing wasn’t going to pay the bills, so Yuzzi relied on her talents as a translator to eek out enough of a pittance to feed her small children. She took any translating job she could and even taught private lessons to try and keep her family afloat, but even with all the effort it was an uphill battle. The small family rented a flat in a farmhouse in Tuscany. In another time in different circumstances this might have been nice, but the farmhouse was terribly isolated and spartan, with no running water or plumbing. 

It was at this house where Yuzzi hired a young woman, Ida Brunelli to help look after her children while she worked long days in the city. Yuzzi was cautious, knowing full well what was going on, and after the dreadful experience of losing Kalman to deportation, she hid her and her children’s Jewish heritage. As far as Ida understood, she was in charge of three small Italian children.

Ida was only a child herself, fifteen years old, when she took the job. She was no stranger to poverty and looking after the children in exchange for a small amount of money and a room in the flat was an arrangement that worked for her. It was a lot of responsibility for someone so young, but absolutely nothing compared to what was to come.

In 1943, two great tragedies happened to the small family. First, the Germans occupied Italy, upending their already precarious situation and thrusting them straight into the path of the Nazi death machine. The second, Yuzzi took ill - gravely ill. 

There she was, a young woman in her own right with a dying heart and three young children she knew she would soon be leaving in the belly of the beast. She had the problems of the entire world pressing down on her, and nowhere else to turn.

On her deathbed, she told Ida everything. Who she was, her children’s Jewish identity, where to find their family documents, what had happened to her Kalman. And she pleaded. She begged Ida to take care of her children that she would soon leave behind, to do whatever it took to save them from the death camps and persecution that awaited them if they were ever found out.

Imagine yourself in Ida’s position in this moment. Remember, she was only a teenager, one who was struggling to support herself. Now she was tasked with an incredible burden, a responsibility so large it would crush most people. She had three children who’s lives depended on her and no one else. Three children who were not her blood, not her children, not her brothers and sisters. Three enemies of the state according to the radio and the newspaper. Three fugitives from the law, and Ida knew as well as anyone else did at that time what kind of punishments awaited anyone who was discovered to be concealing or aiding Jews. Utterly alone and powerless, what could she possibly do?

She did what she believed the Lord would have wanted her to do. She protected those children.

With no source of income, and the increasing threat of being discovered by the German army (Yuzzi’s death would raise questions about where the children should go, who their next of kin was and so on), Ida took the kids back to her own mother. She introduced them as Hungarian refugees, careful not to slip and let anyone know their secret. 

Even with the help of her own family, three additional mouths to feed was too much for young Ida and she eventually decided to ask the mayor of Monselice for help. The mayor was known to be kind and trustworthy, with no love for the Nazis. Thankfully, he agreed to help the children. He used his connections to quietly secure them bunks and board in various Christian institutions in the city. But Ida didn’t leave it at that, she continued to visit and support the kids every chance she got, especially Sunday’s where they spent all day with her, essentially acting as their second mother.

After the war, Ida made contact with members of the Jewish Brigade who were actively looking for Jewish orphans. She took them to a military camp in Santa Colomba and told the officers there her story. But the gears of bureaucracy grind slowly, and a number of logistical concerns needed to be cleared before the children could be guaranteed a safe trip out of the country to Israel.

Rather than leave the children on their own, Ida spent more than a month wandering with them as they were resettled and handed off between various camps. She took them this far, and she wasn’t going to leave them until she was sure they were safe. 

All three children were patriated to Israel where each lived long and happy lives. They never forgot what Ida did for them and petitioned Yad Vashem to recognize her efforts.

This story could have very easily ended differently. One could easily say that young Ida had no real responsibility to Yuzzi and her children. If Ida had left that flat after Yuzzi gave her deathbed confession and never looked back, you could argue that she had to protect herself first and foremost. There are even some who would say that she couldn’t have been blamed if she turned those kids in because that was the law at the time. Looking at the situation from a detached perspective, it’s hard to call what she did the "smart play.”

Thankfully, Ida knew better. She knew that we are all God’s children, even if we are not bound by blood we all have an obligation to each other. She knew that "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” is the measure God will measure us all against. She knew that protecting your body means nothing if you give up your soul to do it, and that a barbarism enshrined by the law is still barbarism.  

The next time you’re faced with a dilemma that forces you to choose between what is right and what is smart, remember Ida’s courage and moral clarity. If a young girl like that can summon the strength to throw herself in front of the Nazi death machine only for the benefit for others, we can always make the right choice.