Have a Little Faith

When asked where you were on 9-11, your answer will be ready on the tip of your tongue. The memory, no doubt, still swims in your mind, pulsing and stubbornly vivid. But what if you’re asked where God was on the day the Twin Towers fell? Where was goodness? Where was peace? Where was he on the battlegrounds of the world wars, or in the concentration camps of 70 years ago? Is he there in the ghettos that line the dirt roads of Third World countries, or in the home of an abused child? Few know the answers to these questions. The concept of God, of a Higher Power – a symbol of eternal peace, happiness, and fulfillment – contrasts so strikingly with the broken world in which we live in that it’s becoming a terrible challenge to keep faith in our grasp. For many, the idea of having faith seems pointless if you’re serving a faceless God, a God who never seems to appear when he’s needed most. Confronted by the differing faces of religion, many become overwhelmed and surrender to the seemingly Read more

Israel — The Land of Milk and Honey

In middle school English class, we are taught that one of the three hallmarks of irony is the difference between appearance and reality. By watching the evening news, casual observers would see Israel only for its ongoing clash with the Palestinians. A closer look reveals all that Israel has to offer.

As the 12-hour flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv nears its end, I have a leg-stretching chit-chat with one of the flight attendants in the centre galley. After asking me where I’m from, he tells me how much he loves flying to Israel, because he takes pride in being able to bring tourists to such a special place. As the Airbus A330 barrels down the runway at Ben Gurion International Airport, the reality of Israel hits me and instantly, I understand that this is a different kind of destination. “It’s our pleasure to welcome you to the land of milk and honey,” an eclectic group of flight attendants excitedly Read more