I have traveled to Israel five times since June 2024, spending approximately fifty days in the land. Each trip has marked me in a different way. I now know where to eat, how to navigate the Old City, and what it feels like to walk Jerusalem’s stone streets carrying both wonder and weight in my heart. I have preached on Mount Carmel, in Capernaum, and in the Upper Room. I have worshiped at Christ Church near Jaffa Gate and met with political leaders, military personnel, museum curators, kibbutz leaders, journalists, pastors, mayors, ambassadors, shopkeepers, and Israeli citizens whose perspectives often differ from my own.
These journeys have not come without criticism. I have been called a heretic, a fool, and nearly everything in between. At times, I have even been treated as a hero, although I do not seek either label. The more time I spend in Israel, the more convinced I become that standing with truth, peace, and the Jewish people is not a political hobby or a partisan exercise. It is a matter of moral clarity, spiritual conviction, and historical responsibility. Scripture calls us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” and declares, “May those who love you be secure” (Psalm 122:6, NIV). For me, that command has become more than a verse to quote. It has become a responsibility to carry with humility.
This most recent trip was especially meaningful because it was not simply another Holy Land tour. There were sacred moments of prayer, worship, and reflection. There were mornings when pastors and leaders gathered and remembered that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remains faithful and that the land of the Bible continues to bear witness to the historical setting of Scripture. Yet the purpose of the journey went beyond inspiration. We came together as leaders and pastors connected to Israel Christian Nexus, determined not to settle for familiar political slogans or media narratives. We came to listen, ask difficult questions, examine our assumptions, and seek truth with humility and courage.
At times, I found myself wondering whether Eusebius of Caesarea understood the historical weight of Nicaea as he traveled to the council. Did he realize that the conversations held in that small town would shape generations of Christian thought? I do not pretend that our meetings carried that same magnitude, but I did feel the seriousness of the moment. In Jerusalem, during the ICEJ Emergency Council, we gathered in conference rooms to hear lectures and discussions from theologians such as Gerald McDermott and leaders such as Ambassador Mike Huckabee. We examined history, theology, geopolitics, antisemitism, Christian responsibility, and the urgent need for pastors to lead with truth rather than react to fragmented information and emotionally charged social media content.
What affected me most was not only the complexity of the conflict but also the humanity of the people living within it. Israel is not an abstract headline. It is a nation of families, soldiers, survivors, neighbors, innovators, mourners, and worshipers. To love Israel rightly is not to flatten every question, excuse every action, or ignore every tension. Nor does it require us to deny the dignity, suffering, or legitimate concerns of Palestinians. It requires us to reject simplistic narratives, resist antisemitism, value human life, and insist that truth and compassion belong together. The prophet Zechariah expressed this responsibility plainly: “Therefore love truth and peace” (Zechariah 8:19, NIV).
I believe something significant is developing through Israel Christian Nexus. A pastoral brotherhood is forming that has the potential to help churches move from confusion to conviction, from silence to responsible advocacy, and from reactionary opinions to informed compassion. This work will require patience, humility, theological care, and a willingness to listen before speaking. It will also require pastors who are prepared to resist both indifference and propaganda while leading their congregations with courage and moral clarity.
I returned home with a stronger resolve: to keep listening, keep learning, keep standing, and help pastors lead their people with courage, truth, and love. I do not return to Israel because the questions are simple. I return because the questions are difficult, the people matter, and the church must learn how to stand for truth without surrendering compassion.
