Living in the Organized Church Bubble
How does the organized church
answer the needs of a disorganized world?
This week has been a tough week in our church on several levels.
- One of our key members died.
- The violence in Kenya shook our friends in ministry there.
- Undoubtedly the most far-reaching tragedy was the terrorist attack on a church in Pakistan, also friends of 2×2 in ministry.
How does the Church respond in times of crisis?
The ELCA has always been proud of its disaster witness. As for evangelism—the ELCA has divided the world in 65 pieces with each synod adopting a mission region. I looked online at the list of “Companion Synods.” Tanzania has multiple ELCA companions. Pakistan didn’t make the cut. That whole part of the world is missing from our mission efforts.
Here is a country where ministry is very difficult—life threatening. Every day. And we are absent from helping—even from the security of sanctuaries of freedom half a world away.
The Church tends to live in a bubble of bureaucracy. Someone somewhere else will deliver on our prayers and cares. We’ve done our job by repeating “Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.”
Of course, there is always the fear that our help will be misused. We want the help to get to the right people. Often, that means we don’t help at all.
We at 2×2, the remnant of Redeemer Lutheran Church in East Falls, know all too well ineffective church assistance. We can’t count the number of pastors who tell us they pray for us. After six years of persecution, we know very well the power of prayer with no action. We’ve had a lot of attacks, many very personal. But at least no one has blown up our whole congregation.
Unfortunately, the several-day siege in Kenya overshadowed the more horrific news in Pakistan. A suicide bomber attacked a Christian Church. 85 church members died. 150 were seriously wounded. It was a quick clip on the evening news. Many missed it.
The bombers were angry at the United States. They still equate America with Christianity.
The Pakistani Church is desperate for help in recovering from this attack. One pastor wrote to us this morning in frustration. “Now is the time for practical help. Now is the time to show that ministry is more than words.”
Pakistani Christians are an unwelcome minority in a Muslim culture. They know their lives are dangerous. They are not sure they will get good medical attention because of who they are.
Many are not affiliated with western mainline denominations, although the bombed church was Anglican. They have asked for food, medicine and clothing. They have not asked for money, although money is the most practical way to help them. We don’t know what medicine to send, we don’t wear the same clothes they wear and food is difficult to send. So money is the practical answer.
The ELCA took all Redeemer’s money. But still we will try to help.
If you can help Christians who are actively dedicated to Christian ministry in the hardest part of the world for Christians to serve, please consider sending a gift to the addresses below.
2×2 Foundation
c/0 Judith Gotwald
591 Hermit Street
Philadelphia, PA 19128
We’ve been in regular contact with the Pakistani Church for two years. You can see photos of their ministry on our website. You can see photos of the church bombing last Sunday. Imagine the impact on your Christian community if your congregation had been blown into the sky last Sunday.
In a sense, we all were.
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