If Not Now, When?
I recently returned from a two-week trip to Israel. This was my 14th trip to the Holy Land. It was unique from every previous trip. Here’s why:
Deep Trauma
As I traveled the country interviewing Israelis, both Jewish and Arab[1], I witnessed a lot of trauma. Even though much of the world has moved on since the horrific events of October 7, 2023, Israelis are still in a state of shock. There is national mourning. I did not speak to one Israeli who said they felt supported. Instead, nearly every person my video team and I interviewed said they felt “alone.”
We interviewed a mother of four young kids who fled her home in the north because of Hezbollah rockets and then lost her husband in the south as he heroically battled the ISIS-like psychopaths of Hamas.
We spoke to many people who are absolutely befuddled and hurt by so-called friends overseas who, after many years of friendship, questioned the veracity[2] of the massacre.
Many people asked us “Why?” Why are people falling for the propaganda of Hamas and regurgitating their genocidal slogans? Why is the media complicit in telling lies about the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) and believing anything Hamas says? Why can’t the world see that Hamas = ISIS and wish for them to be defeated? Why is an impossible standard of perfection – impossible to achieve for any nation – being used to evaluate Israel? And the list goes on.
Imagine if you and your family had just experienced the worst trauma of your life. What experience can you think of that would send you into the throws of pain, sadness, and anger? An experience that would change you forever.
Now, imagine that some people said you deserved it. That you were actually at fault. Or even worse, denied that it actually happened to you. Then, people started gathering outside of your house, chanting slogans and holding up signs that called for you and your family's death.
This is reality for many Jewish people today, both in and outside of Israel.
A State of Survival
Israelis are literally fighting for their survival.
On October 7, 2023 Hamas invaded and launched a war against Israel. Aside from firing thousands of rockets, they murdered over 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 hostages, dragging them back to their terror tunnels to be tortured and used as pawns in a cruel plot. Hamas murdered men, women, and children. They raped and pillaged. They murdered kids in unimaginable ways. And they recorded much of it on GoPro cameras, which captured them gleefully carrying out atrocities. The worst of the footage from Hamas body cams has only been shown to select groups of people.
On October 8, 2023 an Iranian-sponsored terrorist organization, called Hezbollah, sadistically attacked Israel in her moment of vulnerability. Thousands of rockets have been fired into the tiny state from Lebanon, which borders Israel on the north. Since October 8, and to this moment, over 60,000 people from Northern Israel are displaced from their homes. Scores of rockets have hit houses, businesses, and open areas sparking wildfires.
On October 19, 2023 another Iranian-sponsored terror group, known as the Houthis, started launching drones and missiles at Israel. In addition, they are terrorizing civilian ships in the Red Sea, especially those passing through a major international shipping lane called the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. This has become known as The Red Sea Crisis[3]. To date, they have launched more than 60 attacks, seizing one vessel and sinking two in the Red Sea.
On April 13, 2024 Iran launched a massive attack against Israel. Over 300 missiles and drones were launched from Iran toward Israel, a country already fighting on three fronts. Though Iran was humiliated when all but one of their airborne death weapons were shot down by Israel and her allies, it was a clear attempt to inflict massive amounts of pain on the country and, I believe, they aim to do it again.
Israel’s enemies are zealous for her destruction, almost as zealous as God is for her prosperity (Jeremiah 29:11; 32:37-44; Ezekiel 36:8-15; Zechariah 2:8; 8:2; Romans 11:25-29). The Bible teaches that the Jewish people will never be completely eliminated (Jeremiah 31:31-37; Romans 11:1-29; Revelation 7:4-8). If God had not made promises to protect and preserve the Jewish people, I would likely (and incorrectly!) believe that Israel’s enemies will eventually succeed in destroying her.
Spiritual Openness
Pain tends to stir our souls in such a way that the important questions of life bubble to the surface. I’ve personally noticed, and heard reports from others, that many Jewish people are having conversations about faith who were previously uninterested in such discussions. Now is an opportune time to show love, compassion, and solidarity with the Jewish community. This is the moment to build bridges and relationships with our Jewish friends.
The pastor of our home church recently sent a letter to leaders in the Jewish community. He thoughtfully expressed the church’s collective sadness about the alarming rise of antisemitism in the U.S. and around the world. He expressed our love for the Jewish people and our desire for their safety. The letter was well-received and deeply appreciated. But contained within one Jewish leader’s grateful reply was this sad truth: only one church had reached out to them since October 7th.
I often hear Christians wonder aloud what they would have done if they had lived in Europe in the 1930’s, when antisemitism was commonplace. There is no longer a need for us to wonder what we would do.
Whatever you would have done back then, are you doing it now?
Are you satisfied with what you are doing? If not, it’s not too late to take action.
“Lord, what would You have me do?” is a great place to start.
Written by Levi, Executive Director of Life in Messiah
Endnotes:
[1] Twenty-one percent of Israeli citizens are Arab.