Over the past two months, I have been blessed to experience just some of the unprecedented support for Israel from Christians all over the world. Because of my work as president of the Genesis 123 Foundation, I am used to it. But I have still been overwhelmed. My strong sense is that we are living at a time when support for Israel and the Jewish people is at an all-time high, not just in the 75 years of the State of Israel but in nearly 2000 years of history.
Because of the war in Israel and Chanukah this week, I have been particularly moved by so many of these miraculous demonstrations of support. It’s encouraging to me personally, but I take it as a personal responsibility to share with other Jewish and Israeli friends about this phenomena just as much as possible. With so much of the world reflexively lining up against us, including endless lies along with fierce and violent threats, we cannot get too much support from too many people. We need the encouragement and need to celebrate it.
We also need to thank our Christian friends who are in our corner because many are also subject to a little bit of hostility as a consequence of their support as well. We need to encourage them and also to help other Christians who are not yet firmly in our corner to understand that it’s not only moral to support Israel but an inseparable cornerstone of being a Christian. As an Orthodox Jew, it may seem odd to opine on what’s good Christian theology. But these are the words and sentiments echoed by Christian friends, not my preaching.
When asked repeatedly how Christians can help Israel, my first answer is prayer. I have been the beneficiary of and experienced countless prayers for me and my family and for Israel and the Jewish people in general. Prayer is God’s currency.
During the war, I have been privileged to participate in many prayer events. One is a regular prayer event among Christians in Sweden. Without any rhetoric, these 15 minutes of fervent prayer have been an inspiring and much-needed respite.
After issuing a call for Christians around the world to unite in prayer for Israel and show solidarity by lighting candles during Chanukah, I was simply overwhelmed by the incredible response. Pictures and videos are shared, posts throughout social media, and pastors call for an immediate response. All from all over the world.
Prayer is free and can be done anywhere, in any language. It’s the most solid and uniform way for Christians to support Israel, “flooding God’s inbox,” as I call it. In addition to prayer, I have seen unprecedented levels of donations to Israel-related causes, not just through the Genesis 123 Foundation, but widely. Hundreds of millions of dollars, maybe more. Pastors have issued statements calling on their churches to prioritize Israel, even to the point of giving up things in their personal lives.
One incredibly spirited group I have had the privilege of working with is Pastors Wives of America. They have been so shocked by the horrific massacres and sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7 and the war they did something they’ve never done before: made an appeal for donations for something outside their ministry to directly support Israel.
Conversely, I have heard of many people leaving their churches where they realize that their pastors either don’t prioritize Israel and do not mention the war or pray for Israel at all or, in fact, (shockingly) don’t support Israel. Whereas some pastors don’t want to rock the boat with messages that might challenge their churches or reduce membership and overall financial support, we are seeing the boomerang effect of many abandoning ship from “neutral” churches, the result of not taking a Biblical and moral position on Israel.
A good friend, Ann, was putting together care packages for Israeli soldiers. She asked what we needed. I suggested hand warmers. Days later, after sharing with her friends, she had thousands of hand warmers with the challenge of how to get them all here. Most have arrived, giving soldiers a warm feeling in their hands and hearts. This is just one example of many.
Due to the rising expressions of antisemitism, particularly on American campuses, Christian universities are opening their doors to Jewish students, where antisemitism and expressions of genocide are not only more than harassment but they are not tolerated. While some universities try to dance around the “context” of threats to massacre Jews, some Christian universities are taking bold steps to show their support, actively and publicly celebrating Israel.
One of these is Colorado Christian University. Donald Sweeting is the Chancellor and is a bold leader inspiring Jews and Christians, “Despite the disastrous performance of college presidents on Capitol Hill, I know my school must stand with Israel. As chancellor, it's our duty to speak out.” CCU hosted an incredible event in solidarity with Israel and alongside the Jewish community, perhaps the first such event, a shining example to all.
My friend Rebecca’s expression of solidarity moved me most personally. Last month, she was putting up her Christmas tree and asked for pictures of my son and son-in-law to put on the tree as well. I was choked up. This led to a wider discussion that, more than expressing love for my family, nationally, we need to bring back all the hostages. I was able to get her a PDF of pictures of all the hostages, which she dutifully printed and adorned her tree with them all. It’s a powerful image and expression of support. (Contact me and I can get you the PDF too.) Others are buying the “Bring Them Home Now” bracelets I have produced and adding yellow highlights to their trees.
Christians understand that the restoration of Jewish sovereignty in Israel is the fulfillment of prophecy. They understand that support of Israel is a Biblical obligation. Jews and Christians believe in and worship the Creator of the universe. This was highlighted in the recent episode of the Inspiration from Zion podcast, a conversation with five pastors in Israel for a solidarity mission, an inspiring and provocative dialogue for Christians and Jews.
Christians also recognize that Jesus was a Jew, and if he returned today, he would be hated and persecuted along with all other Israeli Jews. Imagine Jesus not crucified by the Romans but burnt alive, or beheaded by Hamas Islamists, or sitting as a human shield in an underground Hamas terror tunnel. These are just some of what motivates many Christians today and a few of the many ways in which their support is being felt tangibly, miraculously.
Photo Courtesy: Jonathan Feldstein, used with permission.
The views in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Christian Headlines.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
Jonathan Feldstein was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. Throughout his life and career, he has been blessed by the calling to fellowship with Christian supporters of Israel and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel. He writes regularly for a variety of prominent Christian and conservative websites and is the host of Inspiration from Zion, a popular webinar series and podcast. He can be reached at [email protected]
