Just over a week ago, on December 28th, was the feast of Holy Innocents. This is the day on which the church commemorates the first Christian martyrs – those young boys killed by Herod just after the birth of Jesus. According to the best estimates, about 20 children were put to death in the massacre. In today’s world, this act would be been met with outrage by people across the globe.
However, Christians around the world are being martyred on a much larger scale today – nearly 100 every month. Within the past four months, 85 were killed in a bombing of All Saints Church in Pakistan, 72 were murdered in Nairobi’s Westgate mall, and 45 were tortured and put to death by Islamic rebels in Sadad, Syria. Many others have been killed for their faith as well.
I’m usually put off by the complaints I hear from Christians in the West. The “hardships” and “persecution” we face are minimal. But it’s a different story around the world, and yet there is a strange silence from the Christian community in America. Bloggers, tweeters, and preachers rarely mention it. It’s not discussed in the news. It’s usually just ignored.
This is wrong. We should be outraged by this evil. It is our duty as Christians to be informed and concerned about the plights of our suffering brothers and sisters around the globe – and to pray for them every day. Organizations such as Open Doors USA and Voice of the Martyrs provide helpful information on the state of the persecuted church. Check them out for details on how you can pray and other ways to get involved. Let’s not ignore this tragedy any longer.