Nothing Justifies October 7th. Nothing Justifies Israel’s Response.
As we approach the one year anniversary of the horrific events of October 7, 2023, I can’t help but return to a particular moment in Scripture.
In Luke 19:41, the Bible tells us that when Jesus saw Jerusalem, just as he was about to enter it for the final time, he wept. He foresaw the city’s coming destruction and was moved to tears.
I think that if Jesus were to come back today and stand in the Middle East, after the events of the past year, he would weep again.
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I obviously don’t need to recap the devastating details of the previous year, but two truths have become crystal clear to me.
First, regardless of what either side claims, there is only one moral position — the only one Jesus would accept: Absolutely nothing that happened before October 7th justified the atrocities of that day, and nothing that happened on that day justifies Israel’s response since.
This isn’t neutrality; it’s clarity. The killing of civilians is always wrong. The killing of children is always wrong. No cause justifies it — ever.
Naomi Klein’s words echo in my mind: in choosing sides between those who kill children and the children themselves, always stand with the children.
Whether that child is Israeli or Palestinian makes no difference. Jesus’ commandment to love others as God loves us leaves no room for justifying such horrors.
The second truth is this: the bloodshed in Israel and Palestine is not the inevitable result of a clash of religions. It’s the byproduct of nationalism — a deadly virus that’s been spreading for over a century.
Nationalism, which often masquerades here in the U.S. as “patriotism,” is a modern construct that has torn apart the coexistence that existed for centuries between Jews and Muslims across the Middle East and North Africa.
Before the 20th century, Jews and Muslims lived side by side in relative peace. The introduction of nationalism by Europeans in the early 20th century sowed division and chaos.
Jesus, in his teachings and actions, stood fundamentally opposed to this kind of narrow tribalism that underlies modern nationalism.
His ministry consistently broke down barriers between groups, whether Samaritans and Jews, tax collectors and zealots, or the rich and poor. And he envisioned a kingdom where such divisions held no power.
When we allow nationalism to define our identities and loyalties, we lose sight of our shared humanity. We become incapable of seeing those across borders or from different ethnic backgrounds as our brothers and sisters.
This thinking runs absolutely counter to Jesus’ vision of a borderless kingdom of God, where all are welcomed and valued equally.
In the kingdom Jesus proclaimed, there are no nationalities — only children of God.
This radical inclusivity challenges us to look beyond the artificial boundaries that separate us and to recognize the divine image in every person, regardless of their national or ethnic identity.
As followers of Jesus in the 21st century, we are called to be peacemakers who transcend these divisive ideologies. We must work to build bridges of understanding and compassion across the chasms that nationalism has created.
Only then can we begin to heal the wounds inflicted by generations of conflict and move towards the just and peaceful world that God desires for all creation.
Further Reading
For those wanting a more thorough understanding of the past year, I’d encourage you to read Human Rights Watch report on the October 7th, which documents in horrific detail the war crimes committed by Hamas on that day, and this report from the University Network for Human Rights, which concludes that Israel has committed genocidal acts in Gaza in its response to Hamas.
For more on understanding nationalism, I recommend reading “Understanding the Constructive and Destructive Natures of Nationalism” from the Council on Foreign Relations, or George Orwell’s classic essay, “Notes on Nationalism.”
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