Bondi Beach Massacre and an Unrecognisable Australia
“This is not the country I grew up in.” Australians, shocked at the deadliest massacre since Port Arthur in 1996, could barely find the words to describe the devastation at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening.
15 innocent people, attending a Hanukkah celebration on one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, were mercilessly gunned down for the pure fact that they were Jews. It was anti-semitism at its ugliest.
“This doesn’t feel like Australia”, responded another tearful person standing next to an increasing mass of bouquets laid at a memorial to honour the murdered.
And, they’re right — this isn’t Australia. At least, not the nation we once knew. Australia was founded upon Christian values including faith, family, freedom and life.
The two gunman held none of these values, instead believing and acting upon very different ones. Watch this CBN news story below.
Cost of Rejecting Our Christian Heritage
As Australia has continually turned its back on its Christian heritage, other ideologies have arisen and taken hold in the vacuum created by Christianity’s marginalisation.
As a result, and in the most tragic of circumstances, 15 people, including an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor and a ten-year-old girl named Matilda, are dead.
Matilda’s parents, who immigrated from Ukraine, gave her the most Australian name they could think of, as she was their first child born within our shores. Matilda was a continual reminder of the country they had embraced to raise their family in security and freedom.
Whether people hold to Christian beliefs and values can be and are matters of life and death – in this life and the next.
Bondi Response: What Australia Needs Now
While it remains to be seen how Australians and our leaders will respond the the Bondi massacre in the weeks ahead, we know the answer to the problem of evil: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself was brutally murdered as he died for the sins of the world – mine and yours. Only the gospel can transform hearts and renew minds, filling them with Jesus’ grace, peace and truth.
There can be no revitalisation of Christian values in Australia without a gospel revival. As we draw ever closer to Christmas, let us pray that God will open doors for us all to connect with others and share the greatest news ever told.
At a time when Aussies are hurting from the violent bloodshed, we are Jesus’ light (Matthew 5:14), people who have wonderful and unshakable hope that Jesus, the prince of peace, will one-day return to establish his kingdom of peace, forever.
As the prophet Isaiah famously recorded,
“Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”
(Isaiah 9:7)
And why do we have this unshakable hope?
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Isaiah 9:6)
We will leave you with these words from Anglican minister Robin Kinstead, whose grandfather fled Nazi Germany after the events of Kristallnacht in 1938:
“In John’s Gospel, Jesus is described as the light shining in the darkness (John 1:5), and we are promised that the darkness has not overcome the light.”
“So, my fellow Australians, Jew and Gentile, as those accountable to Adonai, as followers of Jesus Messiah, as citizens of this nation and of our world, by the grace of God may we play our part, individually and together, to keep our lights shining: for the glory of God and for the good of all people, at Hanukkah, at Christmas, and into eternity.”
We encourage you to read Rev Kinstead’s entire reflection on The Daily Declaration here, as well as many articles responding to the Bondi shootings here.
Yours for eternal hope in the midst of tragedy,
Samuel Hartwich & Warwick Marsh
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I want a return to Christmas Parades showing the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Christmas Carols sung on the radio (not just the music !) A pride in our Christian culture. If this “offends ” too bad ! Like Special Investigator Segal said we need to start with Education, ie reform what is being taught in schools and universities. Unless we remove lies and hate of our culture we have no chance to save Australia. Pray that the Holy Spirit removes this evil from our country and no more innocent Matildas are shot in cold blood.
I feel there has been too many let in for too long. The Govt was warned years ago about the future issues we will face with Muslims here but they called it racist and Islamaphobic. Well here we are, the warnings weren’t heeded.
There are too many here to think this will be the last atrocity committed by them on our shores. There would be thousands of them here with this Jihad ideology. Sleepers just waiting for their time planning and waiting. Australia will never be the same, not just from this but from the years of unheeded warnings and them eroding our culture and values to appease the naive woke masses. We see our own fellow Aussies marching with the Hamas Palestinian haters on our streets calling for the death of the Jews. Wearing their garbage scarfs and holding placards of hate. Australia we once knew and I grew up in has fallen and is a thing of the past. End times have begun and wether I see the Lord’s return or I pass and the next generation sees it I can’t say, but it has begun and as in Revelation its clear it’s going to get worse.
Sadly the worse is yet to come. Ultimately though God is in control and will save His people in all the countries of the world. They may destroy our bodies but they cannot touch our souls. Stay strong in the Lord people.