JERUSALEM AND ME by Bobbie Ann Cole

 

Bobbie explores a 1st century tomb (empty!) on the university campus

The young Canadian mother in long skirt and headscarf in the line-up at the hardware store seemed eager to speak to us as we queued to pay. This was a surprise. Jerusalem’s Orthodox Jews are not usually friendly towards more liberal-looking folk like us.

SHOULD I GO OR SHOULD I STAY?

View from our Mount Scopus Dorms to the Old City

My husband, Butch, told her that we were from Canada. “Yes, we just immigrated,” he confirmed. “Two days after the War began.”

Her eyes widened. She said she too was from Canada.

“Our friends assumed we wouldn’t come when the war was announced,” I added. “But here we are.”

I had signed up to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and, in my naivety, assumed all would go ahead as planned. (It hasn’t. Most students are still stuck in their countries. We started classes late. All online.)

Pushing her young son’s stroller back and forth, the young woman nodded approvingly. Israelis love new immigrants, even those they might judge backslidden. (We are actually returning immigrants, but we didn’t want to split hairs.) “You’re not scared?”

Actually, we are not, which is sometimes hard even for me to fathom.  

“Our families want us to leave.” I shrugged. “We have had a lot of messages.”

Her face was wistful. “Me, too.”

“We heard Canada is sending a rescue plane for Canadians," Butch told her. "but we decided to stay,” 

“I was wondering whether to leave," she replied. "My family in Montreal has been pushing for that.” She hesitated for a moment before adding something that took our breath away. “I think God had me meet you today.” She smiled down at her little boy. “Now I know we should stay, too.”

SOMETHING EXISTENTIEL

Her simple words brought home to us that we are all part of something existential here. This has been underlined by the King of Kings congregation in the city that reopened for the first time last Sunday, after several weeks of closure. 

(Almost all gathering places shut at the start of the war. They are gradually coming back to life.)

KING OF KINGS

We had been hungry for the wonderful, spirit-filled worship we found last Sunday. King of Kings is the church where Jesus first claimed me, sixteen years ago. I was there only because I couldn’t say no to a Christian travelling companion who had graciously come to synagogue with me.

It changed my life and set me on a path to meet and marry my Boaz: Butch.

It changed me again last Sunday.

EL AL  

As I worshipped, God brought to mind the bee in my bonnet I had about coming into the Land with El Al. It seemed important to me to fly into Israel with the Israeli airline. It wasn’t the cheapest, not by a long chalk. 

It would turn out to be the only airline willing to bring anyone into Israel following the October 7th massacre of Israelis and many others that led to the country's declaration of war on Hamas.

We were flying from London where we had visited family. Ryan Air, EasyJet, British Airways and Virgin had all cancelled their flights but we arrived more or less on schedule in Tel Aviv, our plane full of returning Israelis.

It struck me then that God had done that for us: a confirmation that He had brought us here, to Jerusalem.

Whether His purpose is my Master’s in Jewish studies or something else that He plans for one or both of us, we are right where we are supposed to be, in God’s heavenly city of gold.

 

Bobbie Ann Cole -Writer, Speaker, Teacher, Book Coach 

Check out Bobbie’s pics and videos from Israel at www.facebook.com/bobbieanncole and get on board for her regular newsletters, messages and meetings about her life by signing up at Scrollchest.com. You will receive her free 5-Minute Testimony: How I Met Jesus which was at King of Kings in Jerusalem.