The horrific terror attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7th have once again ushered the nation of
Israel onto the center stage of world discourse on the nature of truth, the right to self-defense, and how
to identify and address evil. Once again, it is a pivotal moment for Israel, a moment in time that will
determine her peace, security, and future. But it is also a defining moment for Christians. Our potential
failure to speak with moral clarity on the ancient scourge of anti-semitism and our possible lack of
courage to stand united against evil will define our future in no lesser way.

Christian history is regrettably marked by painful instances of Christians’ silence, at times by willful
ignorance, and most egregiously by moments of active participation in verbal and physical violence
against Jews. When Christian theology veered from being rooted and grounded in its Sacred Scriptures,
abhorrent theological systems developed that were not only hostile towards Jewish people but worked
towards erasing Jewish existence, history, culture, and witness. There are myriad instances of support,
advocacy, and protection of Jewish people in Christian history. But the bright witness of Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, Corrie ten Boon, and Maximilian Kolbe fades in the unfathomable reality that the holocaust
occurred in Christian countries and was perpetrated by Christians. How will the coming generations
judge Christians for our response to the unprovoked attacks on Israel? Will we stand with Israel and with
her people?

This defining moment requires a decisive and clear response from the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.
Christians must denounce Hamas’ evil commitments and actions with great moral clarity and
persuasion. We must affirm Israel’s universal right to self-defense in solidarity with our Jewish
neighbors. With an active voice and firm stance, we must encourage the efforts to eradicate Hamas’ and
its systems of evil to ensure security and peace in Israel and the region. The reasons for this needed
stance and response go deeper than just standing for Israel; they speak to the very identity, nature, and
future trajectory of Christianity:

• When Christians deny the Biblical and historical claims of Jewish people to the land of Israel, deny the very Scriptures their faith is built upon. In the writings of the Christian Bible, the Evangelist Luke, and the Apostle Paul affirmed the eternal covenant and promises made to Abraham and his descendants (Luke 1:72 and Romans 15:8).
• The witness of the prophetic texts of the Hebrew Scriptures is central to the formulation and praxis of Christian theology. These texts, with a unified voice, prophecies the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel and the central place of Jerusalem in that land.
• When Christians fail to identify and name the evil embodied in the charter and actions of Hamas, we betray the very essence of our faith. The silence of so many Christians amid the rise of alarming occurrences of anti-Semitism is deafening. Will we allow the unbearable failure of the Church during the holocaust to be repeated?
• When Christians ask for a de-escalation in the military response of Israel, and we merely offer superficial calls for peace, we risk being bystanders and even perhaps participants in a greater evil. Who, in their right mind, would argue for restraint or peace with Nazi Germany? May we be brave enough to learn from our painful history.
• The Jewish people, Israel, and Jerusalem play a pivotal part in Christian eschatology. In the consummation of history, Israel is seen as a bright light and her people a blessing to the nations. A Christian vision of the future celebrates Israel.
• Standing with Israel and her inalienable right to self-defense does not mean that we do not have concerns for those who are caught in an evil and destructive ideology. We pray and hope for a change of a terrorist regime and for people to be delivered from systemic hatred. But lasting stability and peace in the region begin with a secure and safe Israel.

Standing with Israel during this dark hour should not be confused with an overbearing and paternalistic
stance of Christians telling Jews what to do, affecting further Jewish erasure. In all our efforts, we must
allow Israel and Jews to speak for themselves. May we, as Christians, lead the way to hear the voices
and receive the gifts offered by the Jewish people. May Christians, standing for truth and all that is good,
stand with Israel and her resolve to eradicate this evil.

The history and future of Christianity is intertwined with that of the Jewish people. May we recognize
the ancient promise to Abraham that all the nations would be blessed in his seed. May Christians
remember, receive, and affirm that blessing today. May our actions during this defining moment be
ones that will inspire and be praised by those who will come after us. Now is our defining moment.