In the old city of Aleppo, Syria, Ibrahim Nseir stands on the pile of rubble that used to be his church. The building where his congregation worshiped is now broken stones and dust. It’s a sunny day, the bright sky a stark contrast to the destruction on the ground.
“Fill me with your love, O Lord,” I say to myself as I breathe in. “And free me from fear,” I think on the exhale.
David Chow recalls sitting in Sunday school as a child in a Christian Missionary Alliance congregation in Calgary, Alta., and learning what the nation of Israel meant for Christians. Chow grew up believing the state of Israel is a continuation of the biblical people of Israel and a sign that Jesus is returning.