As I sit here in my home, Helensburgh, feeling sorry for myself with a bruised eye and a freshly slapped cheek from a rogue branch ascending Ben Bouie, I’m reminded anew of the raw beauty and unpredictability of God’s creation as I went off the usual path. These Scottish hills, rugged, misty, and full of surprises, have been my sanctuary for prayer and quiet time on my runs and explorations. But lately, they’ve also mirrored the world’s turmoil: paths that veer off unexpectedly, moments of pain amid the climb, and vistas that point us upward to the One who made it all.
This past weekend marked a historic turning point in the Middle East. Yesterday, October 13th, the long war in Gaza drew to a fragile close. The final living Israeli hostages were released, exchanged for thousands of Palestinian prisoners, and a ceasefire tenderly took hold. Israeli forces withdrew, and leaders gathered in Egypt for a peace summit. President Trump declared a few hours before at the Knesset, “the historic dawn of the new Middle East”.
Yet the shadow lingers, the dead brutally murdered by Hamas, not returned home in the two brutal years; my heart breaks for the families, as the world seems to of forgotten them.
I tried to watch the homecoming ceremonies, but a hill run mishap forced me to rest and reflect through reading with one eye, telegram updates instead. What struck me deepest was the solemn return of the convoy carrying just four coffins carrying fallen Israelis, draped in flags and honoured by IDF soldiers.
In a quiet military rite led by a rabbi, they recited from the Psalms, a Jewish tradition that resonates deeply with our Christian hearts, especially in the Bible we cherish.
Reports point to Psalms like 23 and 121 being woven into such moments of farewell. Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” guided mourners through the valley of the shadow of death, promising restoration and eternal dwelling in God’s house. And Psalm 121, oh, how it resonates here in Scotland! “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2).
Up on the Isle of Lewis, where I’ve attended funerals amid the wind-swept Hebrides, we’ve sung these very Psalms in Gaelic harmony, though I just hummed the tune as I don’t know Gaelic.
They remind us: no matter the conflict, be it wars in distant lands or personal battles and a family with complex disabilities, our Keeper neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4). He watches over Israel; the innocent caught up in this war and over you and me.
In this ministry here at bornasgainchristians.org, we lean on the Word not as ritual, but as living breath. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, fulfils these promises. Amid global headlines, let’s pray for true shalom: the return of remains with dignity, healing for the wounded, and hearts turned to the Prince of Peace.
As the ceasefire holds, pray that Hamas be removed, the rubble give way to rebuilding, and the Gospel shine in dark places.
If you’re climbing your own hills today, literal or figurative, lift your eyes. Help comes from the Maker of heaven and earth.
Share your thoughts below; how do these Psalms speak to you in tough times?
In His unfailing watchcare,
Peter
p.s Just got this before I posted this from Hananya Naftali – Israel News
There are reports right now that Egypt has sent its people into the Gaza Strip to search for fallen hostages.
Egypt’s cooperation with Hamas in this lie is very dangerous because it normalizes a situation where Israel is patient and gives a chance to a move that is well known here to be propaganda.
In Israel, it is known that Hamas held more than four fallen hostages.