07/10/2026
Today, 7 October, we pause to remember.
Three years ago, on 7 October 2023, Hamas carried out horrific terrorist attacks in Israel, murdering around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage.
We remember those who were killed.
We remember those taken from their homes and families.
We remember those who survived, and all who continue to carry grief and trauma.
We remember especially the Jewish communities for whom 7 October became the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust - and we recognise that the pain and fear unleashed by that day did not remain within the borders of Israel.
Here in Australia, Jewish communities have experienced a deeply troubling rise in antisemitism. On this anniversary, we stand alongside our Jewish neighbours and say clearly: antisemitism has no place in our community.
As we remember 7 October, we cannot ignore, either, the immense pain and suffering caused by the violence that has followed. These past three years have brought devastating loss, displacement, fear and trauma to countless people across Israel, Gaza and the wider region.
To acknowledge that suffering does not diminish our remembrance of those murdered on 7 October. Rather, it deepens our longing for a world in which no family must endure such grief and no community must live beneath the shadow of violence.
As Christians, we affirm that every person is made in the image of God. We reject antisemitism, Islamophobia, hatred, terrorism and violence, and we refuse to become indifferent to the suffering of our neighbours.
Today, we remember the victims of 7 October and hold their families, survivors, and Jewish communities around the world in our prayers.
And we pray for the day when violence will cease, when hatred will be overcome, and when all who call the Holy Land home may live in justice, dignity, security and peace.
God of compassion,
receive those who have died into your eternal love;
comfort all who mourn;
heal those who carry wounds of body, mind and spirit;
protect those who live in fear;
and make us courageous workers for justice and peace. Amen.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
— Matthew 5:9
🕯️ We remember. We grieve. We pray for peace.
