On December 14th, 2025, the iconic sands of Bondi Beach, a global symbol of celebration and leisure became the site of a profound tragedy. A shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration left 15 dead, 40 wounded, and a nation searching for answers. It was an event described by today’s guest as having “layers of complexity that reach far beyond Australia’s borders”.

Mark Olsen is a Christadelphian who attends the church or ecclesia that meets at Punchbowl in Sydney and he joins us on Wilderness conversations.

Mark, writing on behalf of a Christadelphian periodical, The Lampstand Magazine’s committee, in his recent article, ‘Death in Bondi,’ explores the intersection of this modern atrocity with ancient biblical history, the psychology of vengeance, and the persistent hope for a light that can obliterate darkness.

The Christadelphians have a unique relationship with Isreal and the Jewish people, they are labelled as “Philo-Semitic”. The Christadelphians have been supporters based on their theological stance, viewing the people of Israel as Gods people, the modern nation of Israel and the return of the Jewish people to their homeland as the direct fulfilment of Biblical prophecy signaling the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

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