When we hear the words Never Again, what do we think of? The Holocaust. October 7th. And now, tragically, even school shootings in America.
Last week, two children, Fletcher, age 8, and Harper, age 10, were murdered as they prayed during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. They were literally at the altar of God when evil struck. Their families’ grief is beyond words.
The mayor’s response? “Don’t say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.” Many in the media mocked prayer, as if lifting broken hearts to God were somehow pointless. But as Bishop Robert Barron reminded us, “Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God, which strikes me as altogether appropriate precisely at times of great pain. And prayer by no means stands in contrast to decisive moral action.”
Meanwhile, Jewish activists ask what Never Again means after October 7, when 1,200 Jews were slaughtered, women raped, and babies burned alive. Nike even mocked the phrase in a London ad: “Never Again. Until Next Year.”
So let us ask plainly: Has Never Again become an empty promise?
Give “Never Again” Its Backbone
“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.” - Elie Wiesel.
That vow is carved in stone at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and it’s the opposite of slogan-thinking. Never Again is not a hashtag. It’s a holy obligation to remember truth and to resist evil again and again until Jesus returns.
And if Never Again really means something, we have to ask ourselves hard questions:
Will we name evil when children are murdered at Mass?
Will we keep prayer at the center and take moral action or let a mocking culture define our response?
Will we bear witness to Jewish suffering after October 7 even when it’s politically and culturally inconvenient?
Will we protect our churches and schools, support trauma care, and stand with Israel until the hostages are home?
Because Never Again is not a magic phrase. It’s a call to live differently.
By the Numbers: Bearing Witness
Since the Holocaust, tribunals have recognized genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Srebrenica. Scholars point to Darfur, the Rohingya, the Yazidis, and the Uyghurs as well. And here at home? There have been 434 school shootings since Columbine including last week’s tragedy in Minneapolis.
Never Again only means something if we face what has actually happened… and what is still happening.
Prayer and Action Belong Together
Scripture tells us why Never Again feels like it keeps failing. Jesus warned: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Evil will not end until He returns. Which means there will always be another “never again” until the day Christ comes to set things right.
But that doesn’t mean we give up. Prayer is not passivity; it’s the plumb line. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). And prayer must lead us to bear one another’s burdens, to shield the vulnerable, to comfort the broken, and to hold back the darkness for such a time as this.
A Call to Modern-Day Esthers
So what are we, Modern-Day Esthers, supposed to do in the meantime?
We raise our voices. We pray when the world mocks prayer. We stand with the hostages and their families when the world forgets them. We speak truth when corporations cheapen sacred words. And we act, not because we can eliminate evil forever, but because we can hold it back for such a time as this.
Never Again is not an empty slogan if God’s people live it with courage.
Today’s Prayer:
Lord, we weep for Fletcher and Harper, for the children murdered on October 7, for every innocent life lost to evil. Strengthen us as Modern-Day Esthers to pray when the world scoffs, to act when others remain silent, and to trust that You will have the final word. Amen.
Peggy Kennedy is the co-founder of Christian Women for Israel. With over 30 years of leadership in nonprofit fundraising and ministry, Peggy is passionate about mobilizing women of faith to stand with Israel, support the Jewish people, and live boldly as Modern-Day Esthers. A Certified Fundraising Executive and advocate for Israel, Peggy calls Christians to prayer, courage, and action “for such a time as this.”
