You may have heard blips in the American news cycle last month about a series of attacks taking place throughout Israel. These incidents were happening with increasing frequency as my wife and I arrived in Tel Aviv, and they became known in Israel as the "Wave of Terror." In light of recent events in Paris and the subsequent discovery of numerous terrorist threats in other western countries, it seems that the entire world is coming under a Wave of Terror.

Suddenly, America does not seem as secure as we might have once perceived it to be. It is good to give thanks for being able to safely come together with our friends and family, but, as a result of these events throughout the world, terrorism may be a topic of discussion at many Thanksgiving meals.

Everyone is afraid

What makes the Wave of Terror in Israel so psychologically disturbing is that the attacks are almost impossible to prevent. Many of the attackers have been young Palestinians—children as young as 12—who seem to be acting spontaneously, wielding knives or other sharp objects that are difficult to detect at security checks. The violence here has not been limited to the usual flashpoint areas such as the West Bank and Gaza; as I write this, two Israelis were killed today outside of a synagogue in Tel Aviv less than 5 miles from where we live. Leaders of Hamas, which is not just a terrorist organization but a political party in the Palestinian Authority, routinely praise and encourage these attacks.

"We welcome the heroic operation in Tel Aviv that killed two people. We call on the Palestinians to continue such activities,"
reads a tweet from Hamas' official Twitter account, @hamasinfo, on Nov. 19, 2015 (translated from Arabic).

This has undeniably been a tragedy: 17 Israelis and 83 Palestinians have died so far, with many more injured. The added tension has sparked clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, resulting in even more death, injury and unrest.

The real story is not the number of casualties, but the fear that has gripped the country, fear that appears to be spreading to the rest of the world. Almost every Israeli I meet expresses a tangible fear that these attacks are going to get worse. Many are afraid that a "Third Intifada" has begun—that is, a violent rebellion of the Palestinian people. There have been two intifadas since Israel's creation as a state in 1948, both with death tolls in the thousands. Some voices on the Palestinian side claim that the current wave of attacks is, in fact, the beginning of an intifada, and they want to see the violence continue to escalate.

Terrorism is as much about spreading fear as it is about inflicting loss of life. The reason why the Paris attack will be remembered is not for its size, but because it highlights an alarming trend in "safe" countries like France, Germany, Britain, and America. Despite the increased number of terror attacks in western countries, they have not yet realized what people frequently threatened by terrorism are already acutely aware of: No one is safe.

Thank God it will end

This Thanksgiving, I thank God that there is a hope—for Israel, for the Palestinians, and for the entire world that has been ravaged by conflict. The hope is not that God will whisk all the good people away to heaven and leave the rest to suffer, but that He will actually bring meaningful change to the life of every person:

"Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore. Everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid" (Micah 4:3-4, emphasis added throughout).

Despite the headlines you see in the news, God is about to bring universal peace to the earth, and it cannot come soon enough! No one will be oppressed anymore, because Jesus is going to literally serve as the King of the world. Fear will no longer dominate in our minds because our Protector will be with us and the way of violence will no longer be taught and perpetuated.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

When you gather for Thanksgiving this week, if the discussion turns to the fear of violence from terrorism, remember what Jesus instructs us: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul" (Matthew 10:28). Let us always be thankful to God for safety in a world that is increasingly unsafe. For He plans a future for you that is not filled with fear of evil, but with a hope in the certainty of Jesus Christ's return.