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‘Let Us Go Forward Together!’

September 18, 2024

When the news broke, all of Israel was shattered. The nation wept. Everyone covered their faces in unimaginable grief. For 331 days, Jews and Christians around the world had prayed tirelessly, grasped onto hope, rallied and marched, gazed at faces on photos and listened to the sobbing calls from family members for the hostages to be returned. Six gunshots put a cruel end to that.

On Sunday, September 1, we found out that Hamas had executed six hostages. Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi had all been murdered in cold blood. Six precious souls, malnourished and terrified, had been led to the gaping mouth of a terror tunnel located in what used to be a child’s room in an ordinary residential apartment in Gaza. The last images of daylight the hostages saw would have been the cheerful paintings of Mickey Mouse and Snow White on the walls and stuffed toys scattered around the rubble of where children used to sleep. Then came the unimaginable as the Hamas terrorists forced them into the depths of darkness where they were shot at point-blank range.

I was in the United Kingdom when I heard the news and my heart sank. I had personally listened to Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s mother, Rachel, share about her son. For me—as for millions others—she became a representative of the agony of so many families that had been torn apart. As I travelled with our United Kingdom national director through England, Wales and Scotland speaking and sharing, I saw tears and shock on the faces of so many Christians as I unpacked the horrors that started on October 7 and continues to this day. Missiles, terror attacks, fighting in Gaza and the never-ending threats from Hezbollah and Iran have become a brutal reality for Israel. Since October 7, 2023, the enemies of Israel have launched over 20,000 missiles at its cities to terrorize every living soul.

In Edinburgh, a tearful Christian woman pointed to the yellow bracelet on my wrist, inscribed with the clarion call on every Israeli heart: “Bring Them Home Now.” “Them,” of course, refers to the plight of the 101 hostages still imprisoned in Gaza. When she asked where she could obtain such a bracelet, I quickly took mine off and handed it to her. She treasured it close as she pledged, “I will pray for Israel every day.”

I’ve worn that bracelet every day since October 7, 2023, and without it, I felt strangely naked. Bracelets, pins and dog tags have all become common sights in Israel as people refuse to forget and give up hope for the hostages to be returned. In a tiny nation where everyone lives as one big family, the hostages are not unknown figures. They are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, uncles and aunts.

Throughout our trip, I encountered Christians who were hungry for information on Israel, and I unpacked as much as I could everywhere I went. I spoke of God’s covenant with Israel, how He was regathering the Jewish people back to the Land and the immense challenges the nation faces. At every church I spoke at, Christians voiced support. Some wiped tears away, others recalled past trips to the Land and many asked me to “hug the first Israeli I saw” to share the truth that Christians love Israel.

I had a similar experience during my trip to South Africa in May. Whether it was at a pastors’ round table discussions in Cape Town and Durban, preaching in churches or meeting with Jewish community leaders, people were eager to learn what is happening in Israel and find out more about Bridges for Peace’s work.

When it comes to Israel, the scale of misinformation or complete ignorance among the international audience is staggering. I met many who know they are not receiving an accurate picture from CNN or BBC, but simply lack the ability to find trusted sources. I get to direct them to Bridges for Peace’s news articles or to Israel Unfiltered, an investigative interview series on October 7 and the ensuing war that we launched recently.

Despite the ongoing pain and suffering in Israel and the critical need for the people of Gaza to be liberated from the stranglehold of Hamas, I do see God on the move and at work in the lives of Christians around the world. This gives me hope. I believe God has called Christians to pray and comfort the people of Israel. I also believe God has called Christians to pray and comfort the people of Gaza, for the evil of Hamas to be eradicated and for God to wash them with His Spirit. I believe the entire region needs an outpouring of the presence of the Lord.

However, there remains a real evil which comes against what God loves and that which is central to His covenantal plan: Israel. This darkness seeks to destroy Israel and every Jewish person in the world. Like in biblical times, these forces have marshalled great armies and nations against Israel. Regiments of these armies even march through the streets of cities such as London, Paris, Toronto and New York.

In the face of such evil, we as Christians must stand together as a light for Israel. We must choose life and raise our voices if we are to declare that we are the followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I recall the words of UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who rallied the free world against Nazi tyranny during World War II: “Let us go forward together!” We are in a war of major dimensions (Eph. 6:12). We cannot remain quiet. Action is required. Please consider a gift to our Crisis Assistance Fund to bless the people of Israel with your voice, support and light (Gen. 12:3).

With urgency,

Rev. Peter Fast

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