Six Hostages Killed

Six hostages who had been held by Hamas since October 7, 2023, were killed in a tunnel beneath Rafah earlier this month. The victims were slain shortly before Israeli Defense Forces reached them. The killings ignited large-scale protests in Israel, as desperation to bring the remaining hostages home alive intensifies.

Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas agreed to a series of short-term and limited ceasefires in order for children in Gaza to be vaccinated against polio. The agreement was reached after the disease was confirmed present in Gaza for the first time in a quarter century.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Every person is made in the image of God and has eternal value (Gen. 1:27). This truth makes both the callous slaying of hostages and the outbreak of devastating disease cause for mourning. That is not to draw a moral equivalence between the two, as the brutal disregard for human life displayed by Hamas is nothing short of evil.

As Jesus followers, we should grieve with the families of the victims and pray for the safe return of the remaining hostages. We should also pray for peace and the health of all in the region, and that the Good News of the Gospel would point many toward eternal flourishing. Peace of that kind seems far off and would require a conquering of the evil being perpetrated by Hamas. Yet we serve a God whose love is never-failing (Ps. 136)—a God who “immense patience” to us is “an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:16).

It feels like an impossible tension to hold. But let us together mourn with those who mourn, be clear-eyed about the evil on display in our world, and remain firm in our conviction that God has called each and every person to a saving knowledge of Himself.