October 7, 2023, was not merely another date in the history of the Middle East. It was a day of barbaric violence against innocent people, a day on which families were shattered, communities were destroyed, and the most basic promise of human civilization, that innocent people should be able to live without fear of murder and terror, was brutally violated.
The tragedy did not end that day. The families of those murdered continue to grieve. Survivors continue to carry wounds that cannot always be seen. Those who were held hostage and those who fought to rescue them have stories that the world must hear.
And yet, alongside this suffering, we have witnessed something deeply troubling: the willingness of people to forget, distort, or dismiss what happened. We have seen how quickly the victims can disappear from public discussion while hostility toward Israel grows louder.
That is why remembrance must be more than a ceremony. It must be an act of moral resistance. When we remember the victims, we affirm that their lives mattered. When we listen to survivors, we restore their voices. When we stand with Israel, we reject the notion that the Jewish people should have to face hatred alone.
Our responsibility is not to repeat slogans. It is to educate, to speak honestly, to challenge antisemitism wherever it appears, and to ensure that the next generation understands what happens when hatred is allowed to flourish. Faith that remains silent in the face of hatred is not enough. Faith must lead to action.
There are an estimated 750 million Christian Zionists around the world who believe in Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish state and who see the Jewish people and the land of Israel through the lens of their biblical convictions. That represents an extraordinary potential for good. But potential means little unless it is translated into action.
Christians must be willing to speak when antisemitism becomes fashionable. They must be willing to defend the truth when it is unpopular. They must educate their children, challenge falsehoods in their communities, and refuse to allow the Jewish people to become isolated in the international arena.