Ofir Tsarfati and the Sorrow That Will Not Rest
Some news does not feel like news. It feels like a wound. The painful return of Ofir Tsarfati’s remains to Israel is one of those moments.
Ofir was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas. His family buried him in 2023. Reports now say additional remains were transferred back to Israel. A third reopening of a grave. A third round of grief no family should ever carry.
Roni Gonen, who was kidnapped with Ofir and later released, remembered his courage. “Until the last moment, even when we were dying in the car, he wanted me to save myself.” She added, “It shocks me to understand that he came back here in pieces.” Her words say more than analysis ever could.
It is impossible to read this story without feeling a surge of grief and righteous anger. As Christians, we are called to mourn with those who mourn, to pray for peace, and to stand against evil in every form.
The desecration of life, and death, is a direct assault on the sacredness God has woven into humanity. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isaiah 5:20)
Ofir’s story is not only a tragedy; it is a mirror reflecting the moral divide of our time. One side glorifies destruction. The other clings to life, to memory, to faith.
Behind every update is a mother and a father who have to decide what to do next. Friends who replay memories and try to hold on to a laugh or a look. A nation that keeps mourning its sons and daughters.
As believers, we hold to a simple truth. Every person bears the image of God. Even in death, dignity remains. To handle a body without honor is to harm a family and a people already in pain. To stand with Hamas is to stand with evil. There is no honor there.
So we pause. We tell the truth carefully. We refuse to grow numb. We keep praying for the families who mourn and for the hostages who have not yet come home.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4, NIV)
Today’s Prayer
Lord, comfort Ofir’s family. Hold every household in Israel that is living with fresh grief. Bring every hostage home. Give wisdom to leaders, protect the innocent, and let truth rise to the surface. Heal what feels beyond healing. In Jesus’ name, amen.
