What Can We Do?

A Response to the Pittsburgh Massacre

In light of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, we are compelled to ask how local congregations and individual believers in Jesus can best serve their Jewish friends and local Jewish communities – especially at this particularly fraught and vulnerable moment.

Consider the following:

  1. Local congregations and individual followers of Jesus should find ways to counter antisemitism in their respective local communities. Write articles and send letters to the editor of your local newspaper opposing antisemitism. Let the local community know that Christians care about the Jewish people and are praying for them.
  1. Countering antisemitism is not only a witness of God’s love for Israel and Jewish people, but also an affirmation of God’s ongoing election of the Jewish people. It is also a recognition that antisemitism should also be viewed as a spiritual problem and is Satanic in origin.
  1. Churches and Messianic congregations are bridges of grace between the church and the Jewish community. Your public, unambiguous stand with Jewish people against antisemitism may actually save lives. You might use your marquee to post a message of comfort to your local Jewish community.
  1. Utilize social media as a way to communicate to the broader community regarding God’s love for Jewish people and His hatred of antisemitism. Consider online advocacy; social media posts, declarations of prayer and support for the Jewish community etc. Use your local congregational web sites and publications as well as available Christian media to do the same.
  1. Urge the church to act by gathering and disseminating information to local Christians. Good information can go a long way in helping fellow believers understand the urgency of the situation and to prayerfully take action.
  1. Send a note from your church to a local synagogue letting the Rabbi know you care and that you are praying for the community. You might even consider hosting a prayer service for Christians who would like to pray for Jewish people and their local Jewish community in particular.
  1. If there are any local prayer vigils in public areas or at Jewish community facilities, try to attend as individuals or as a local congregation or home group to show support.

We are happy to collect suggestions on what else we might do as believers, so feel free to send them to us and we will post them as well.

BJ AND CARISSA KERSTETTERSeeing God’s Faithfulness in the 
Ordinary Life of Thomas Chisholm