Remembering Oct. 7: The flag our friends plant

There are moments when a symbol becomes more than a symbol. A flag is a simple piece of fabric. But what it represents — a country, a people, a history — can deeply inspire us. And sometimes, when that flag is planted by someone who has chosen to stand beside you in your darkest hour, it becomes something far greater. It becomes a message: You are not alone.That is what I think about when I see an Israeli flag planted by a church in America.Three years ago, we began Flags of Fellowship as a simple idea. After the horrific terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, Christians across America would plant Israeli flags at their churches and in their communities in memory of the innocent lives that were taken on that day. We could not have known then how far that simple act of friendship would travel.Today, more than 3,100 churches are participating in Flags of Fellowship, planting more than 3.7 million Israeli flags. They are in every state in America, from some of the largest megachurches in the country to small-town congregations where people know all their neighbors by name. And this movement is no longer limited to the United States. Christians in Canada, Colombia, Australia, Mexico, and numerous other countries have joined as well.Every one of those flags tells a story.It tells an Israeli family that we remember.It tells the Jewish community that someone sees what happened to us.And it tells the world that Oct. 7 did not destroy the friendship between Christians and Jews. As a matter of fact, it made that friendship even stronger.This year, Pastor Allen Jackson will host our anchor Flags of Fellowship event at World Outreach Church in Tennessee, as will a handful of other churches across America.Earlier this month, we came together here in Israel for our third annual ceremony.And this year, we chose a very meaningful place to gather: Banias Church, a Christian church in northern Israel. We gathered there for a deeply moving memorial, honoring and remembering those we lost. Standing among the ancient stones and the beautiful nature where Jesus established the church with the Apostle Peter, we heard powerful words of unity from both Christian and Jewish faith leaders. Together, we remembered, and together we stood strong.Israel is home to Christians, Jews, Muslims, and people from many different countries and backgrounds. We do not always agree. We do not always see the world in the same way. But there is a profound beauty when people who are different choose to stand together.And when a church plants an Israeli flag, it is not making a political statement. It is making a spiritual one: a declaration of friendship, remembrance, and faithfulness to those who are hurting.That is what I hope people will see when they look at Flags of Fellowship. Not simply flags, but friendship.Not simply remembrance, but solidarity.Not simply an event, but a movement.The world has changed since Oct. 7. So much has been written about division. So much attention is given to those who hate, condemn, and tear down.But there is another story being written.It is being written in churches across America. It is being written by pastors who stand before their congregations and say that Israel is a friend. It is being written by families who plant an Israeli flag outside their homes. It is being written by Christians who pray for Israel and by Jews who are discovering, sometimes for the first time, just how deeply many Christians care about them.And it is written one flag at a time.I have had the privilege of seeing this friendship grow over many years. I have sat with Christian leaders who have opened their churches to Israeli flags. I have heard from pastors whose congregations have embraced this initiative with incredible enthusiasm. And I have spoken with Israelis who are deeply moved when they learn that, thousands of miles away, people who have never met them are standing with them.This year, as we mark another anniversary of Oct. 7, I am reminded that remembrance is not only about looking backward. It is about deciding the kind of future we want to build.Choosing courage over fear. Choosing friendship over division. Choosing to answer hatred with something stronger: love.I WALKED INTO A SOUTHERN CHURCH AS A JEWISH STRANGER. I LEFT WITH 2,000 ALLIESThere is a phrase we often use at the fellowship: Our enemies burn the flag. Our friends plant it. That is a choice that you make when you participate in Flags of Fellowship. And this year, more than 3,100 churches are making that choice.They are choosing to remember. They are choosing to stand on behalf of friendship. And I am deeply grateful for every one of them.Yael Eckstein is president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.