“Bomb shelters, Bunkers and Bullet Holes”

I had never seen an active bomb shelter before we visited the Wilsons in Haifa our first day in Israel. Oh, there was a bomb shelter in our hotel in Acco for sure, I just didn’t get to see it. It was located in the basement floor of the hotel. We had been to the Messianic congregations in Nazareth, Kiryat Yam and Haifa that morning, and then went to meet to Wilsons who are from Abilene and work with Operation Mobilization; an evangelical ministry to Jews around the world. They have a “real” bomb shelter that we toured and Mary Wilson explained was qualified for ordinary and gas containing missiles. Mary explained the two heavy doors with steel and cement frames, steel doors, inner room, outer decontamination room, shower, vents, supplies, bedding, etc. I don’t remember what the others in the group thought but for me the fascination of being in a “real” bomb shelter was tempered by the realization that I would never comprehend having a bomb shelter unless I lived in Israel. This same eire feeling recurred when I explored the bomb shelter in our hotel in Jerusalem. This hotel had at least two shelters on each floor. These had a few mattresses up against the walls but not much else.

The day we went to Hazor, Dan, Banias, etc., as I mentioned we visited the old Syrian bunker over run and captured by the Israeli army in 1967. Imagine a 55 gallon drum turned on its side, but large enough to walk through and that is essentially what the bunker felt like. However, this bunker was on top of a hill, 4000 feet above sea level where it is cold at night. Stark, Cold, Bare, vulnerable is how it felt to me…all the more so as I imagined scared Syrian soldiers chained to the metal.

Bullet holes were easily seen around the Jaffa Gate when we walked by it when we were in Jerusalem. This location was where the Israeli paratroopers’ swarmed the gate and modern 1967 weapons were used to overtake this ancient gate. Bullet holes could be seen easily around the gate; the proverbial “riddled with bullet holes” comes to mind.

The bomb shelters really have me thinking…they are made with the expectation that someday they will have to be used to preserve life. Much of north Israel spent a significant time in bomb shelters in 2006 during the war with Lebanon, especially our friends in Akko and Haifa. Indeed Eitan mentioned in late 2006 that much work needed to be done on the shelters in Haifa due to the time spent in them. Our friends Eitan, Connie, Avi, Hannah, Guy, Tali, Leon, etc. just to name a few spent a lot of time in bomb shelters.

Bomb shelters, bunkers and bullets are part of wars,and while I never felt danger while in Israel, there were always signs of past conflicts: minefields, old tanks, old army bases, fences, road crossings, etc.

A Biblical word for bomb shelter might be fortress, stronghold and of course refuge. We are in a war RIGHT NOW and there is only ONE Shelter, ONE Fortress, ONE Refuge. That is the good news…the bad news would be if that is ALL God was for us. Imagine going to Israel and staying 2 weeks in a bomb shelter and not exploring Israel. Doesn’t make sense…same with God…He wants us to explore all that He is. Much more could be said about all this...but bomb shelters, bunkers and bullet holes is a good start.