I was driving through town when I caught my breath and instinctively put my hand to my chest. I was completely startled to see a tall tower of a building with all of its offices wide open and laid bare. One entire wall had been removed, and everything was exposed. Floor after floor, about ten stories high.
At first, I thought it must have been some kind of emergency. Had there been a fire earlier in the day?
Then I noticed the bulldozers and cranes on the other side of the building. It was in the process of being torn down. A new development will soon replace it. This was planned, but it still felt remarkably unsettling.
And then I thought…
People in Gaza have been living with this reality in nearly every direction for more than two years. Some are even living in buildings like that.
It’s hard to fathom. And still, we’re asked to bear witness and act.
—Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 