Q made a statement that the children will unite the people. I am actually rather skeptical of this. I know images of fully developed aborted babies does nothing to change the hearts of the pro abortion bunch.
There are many children that have been taken hostage by Hamas and Pro Palestine people will tear these children's pictures from the walls.
On the other side, there are endless videos of crying injured Palestinian children shown on TV and I have seen many comments from the Pro Israeli side saying "they are not innocent. They are Palestinian. They should all be killed."
Sorry for my pessimism, but I feel the hope that images of trafficked children may ultimately unite the people seems a little naive. I'm hoping to be more optimistic about this, but my observation is that tribalism always comes in first place.
Hope someone can convince me otherwise.
Like you, I think God is hardening their hearts. I am not sure why. We may call it stubbornness. However, I am reminded of when God hardened the hearts of men.
John 12:40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them."
Romans 9:18 Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
Exodus 4:21 The LORD instructed Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 7:4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
***Really, I think people have lost hope. Children bring HOPE to the world. ***
Each time a person ignores the Holy Spirit beckoning them, their hearts harden even more (Reference Pharoah and Moses and the plagues). It is a free will choice made by a person. Then the god of this world (Satan) blinds them (2Cor 4:4).
Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NKJV) That which has been [is] what will be, That which [is] done is what will be done, And [there is] nothing new under the sun.