The situation BEFORE October 7th

What if the story didn’t start on October 7? In this conversation, we sit down with guests to examine the common claim that “Hamas started this” and why many Christians need a wider historical frame to think wisely and biblically about Israel–Palestine. We explore how narratives shape our moral imagination, the difference between explaining and excusing evil, and why followers of Jesus must pursue truth, justice, and compassion without collapsing into slogans. Our guests discuss the pre–Oct 7 context in Gaza (displacement, repression, recurring violence), why “peace” can’t be reduced to an absence of gunfire, and how Christians can ask nuanced, historically informed questions without abandoning moral clarity. We also touch on “blowback,” proportionality, and the challenge of naming evil while still understanding causes. If you’ve only heard one side, this episode will help you slow down, seek primary sources, and think theologically before you tweet. About Disciple Dojo Disciple Dojo equips followers of Jesus with sound, approachable teaching that connects Bible study, biblical interpretation, and Christian discipleship to real-world issues. Our goal: read Scripture faithfully, think theologically, love our neighbors, and follow Jesus in public and in private. Call to Action If this helped you think more carefully, please subscribe, like, and comment with your questions or pushbacks (keep it charitable!). Share this with friends who care about peacemaking and biblical justice, and explore more Dojo resources on our site and podcast. Keep training. 🥋 The full episode is available at: https://youtu.be/rmJJ-sMBmik Being Christian After the Desolation of Gaza is available at: https://www.amazon.ca/Being-Christian-After-Desolation-Gaza/dp/B0FMPF3HRQ/ You can read (and hopefully sign!) the Church at the Crossroads declaration at: https://churchatthecrossroads.com/declaration/ Other organizations and resources for those seeking to learn more about Christians in the Middle East: Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East - https://www.neme.network/ Christian Zionism - https://www.christianzionism.org/ Church at the Crossroads - https://www.churchatthecrossroads.com Churches for Middle East Peace - https://cmep.org/ DetermineTruth Ministries - https://www.determinetruth.com/ Across the Divide podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5PrVCyafdQdh8Jpz5gZNyR?si=10cc81c0f3654e0c Bethlehem Bible College - https://bethbc.edu/ Christ at the Checkpoint - https://www.youtube.com/c/ChristatTheCheckpoint Musalaha - https://musalaha.org/ ***Disciple Dojo shirts and other gifts are available over in our online store! - https://www.zazzle.com/discipledojo ***Become a monthly Dojo Donor and help keep us going! - https://www.discipledojo.org/donate ***Dojo Donor Patches: If you are a monthly donor and would like an iron-on DiscipleDojo patch, supplies are limited so message JM directly via the contact page at https://www.discipledojo.org/contact ***If you are an unmarried Christian looking for community, check out our Facebook group “The Grownup’s Table” over at www.facebook.com/groups/grownupstable ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org   Subscribe to the Disciple Dojo podcast for more in-depth teaching and discussions:  SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/discipledojo   Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/26BDZz70HmnT5eoD9BEKQ7   iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/disciple-dojo/id1002934837 Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/uz8dbfet