Christians in the Middle East Are Suffering
The Pain in Pakistan Continues
Three weeks ago a church with some 250 worshipers was blown up as Sunday worship was ending.
“Go in peace and serve the . . . BOOM!”
85 worshipers were killed. 17 of them were children. 150 were injured and the injuries are serious.
A week later a second bomb just a few hundred yards from the first killed another 40 people and injured 100 more.
Redeemer attended two worship services since this happened and held one of our own. The only church that even mentioned the bombing was our own. Our few people took an offering and sent it to Pakistan. Exactly how to do this took four trips to the bank, but now we know how to do it.
The need is ongoing. Alone we can’t do enough. We tried to find an agency to work with.
The service region for Lutheran World Relief doesn’t include Pakistan.
The ELCA representative for mission in the Middle East did not respond to our email inquiry.
We act as though we are unaware of this horrendous attack against our faith. There is no outrage that Muslim terrorists would attack the Christian Church in lieu of working with governments—the true source of their anger.
In today’s world, do we really think that this action will remain isolated? Do we really think it won’t happen again closer and closer to home?
We ask every church to pray for Pakistani Christians and search their hearts for what they might do to help. Recognizing the Pakistani Church would be a start. Finding a way to demonstrate Christian compassion would be another.
Otherwise, our mission is limited to safe places where happy groups of Americans can make annual feel-good visits.
But aren’t we needed most in the places that are dangerous?
The needs are for food for the families who lost multiple loved ones, warm clothing for winter, and most desperately medical supplies. They try to care directly for the injured as much as possible as they distrust Muslim hospitals.
2×2 is here to help. Contact us if your congregations’ mission efforts might include Pakistan. We know it’s not the way things are done in the ELCA, but that’s not much comfort to the victims!