Jesus had a remarkable ability to engage and captivate people from all walks of life. The stories he told revealed the nature of God, provided guidance for how to live, and corrected long-held religious assumptions.

I’m at my keyboard six days after the people of Israel suffered a horrendous attack in which at least 1,200 civilians were brutally murdered. The Israeli response has been swift and harsh with estimates of 1,300 inhabitants of Gaza killed. By the time this article is posted those numbers will most certainly increase.

I landed in Dublin in 2018, excitedly anticipating my new life here. I was sad to leave behind my family, friends, and the country I’d known and loved for decades. But I was ready for this—I had dreamed of living here for years. And though I love it, there have been many challenges and surprises that arose during my past five years here. Visas, banking, taxes, housing, transportation, terminology/slang, procedures, cultural nuances, food, and many more things were all new or different to me. Navigating so many new things at once can make you tired, frustrated, annoyed, and beyond. And even though I am happy here, I can get homesick for all things familiar. A place where I know I belong, and everything is natural.