Hundreds of Christians from dozens of churches were among the more than 35,000 people who gathered for the Celebrate Israel Parade Sunday in New York City.
Some are calling it the first time in the parade’s history that an evangelical Christian group joined the march.
Eagles’ Wings organized Christian participation in the parade. The theme of the Christian float was “Israel: God’s ‘Grape’ Promise Fulfilled!” The theme was taken from Amos 9:14, “I will bring back the captives of My people Israel … they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.”
Christians carried large fruit cutouts, fruit balloons, and balloons arranged into large grape clusters carried on poles between two people. Their banners and props showed the fruit of the modern gardens of Israel as a tribute to God’s eternal covenant with the land of Israel and the Jewish people as prophesied by the prophet Amos nearly 2,700 years ago.
“The parade was powerful and meaningful,” says Robert Stearns, director of Eagles’ Wings, who led the march of Christians in the parade. “We were blessed as Christians to be able to stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters and let them know they will never be alone.”
Thousands of people lined Manhattan’s world-famous Fifth Avenue to cheer on the marchers. Some were brought to tears and cheers when they realized that Christians were marching with them in faith and celebration.
“The Jewish faith is the foundation of my Christian faith,” Anthony DeGuerre, a Christian who marched in the parade, told a local Jewish TV station during an interview. “I stand with Israel because of God’s enduring covenants with the people and the land.”
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