The News You Didn't Hear on CNN

Wouldn't you expect an hateful attack that rendered 70,000 people homeless, 4,000 homes destroyed, 3,000 people missing, and 77 brutally murdered to be told on every newscast in America?

It happened. Christians in Orissa, India are withstanding an extreme persecution that the media has decided no one needs to know about. I entered "Orissa" into my search engine and came up with three obscure articles about Christians protesting that did not mention any of these statistics that you can verify at www.persecution.com (copy and paste into your browser, Blogger doesn't seem to want to add links today.)

How did I find out? My pastor mentioned the problems from the pulpit recently, having been raised by missionaries in India. He did not go into any detail, only said we should pray. When I received the VOM newsletter in the mail, the name caught my eye. I was astonished and heartbroken for these families that are suffering such hatred and violence while we safely go about our Christmas shopping on the other side of the world.

These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Though they speak a different language, though they have a different skin color and wear different clothes, they are more than blood family to us, if we are a part of the Body of Christ. These are the dear people we will spend eternity with. They are just like us. They have little ones and babies to protect, they have jobs and homes and lives they are trying to live.

They have one thing we don't. Courage that has been tested by the fires of persecution. They have looked at all of their loved ones and belongings and church buildings and decided "Jesus means more."

Our response? Certainly we should be humbled and convicted by their faith. We should be reminded that our comfortable little lives we are so fond of do not come with guarantees this side of heaven. We may face the same cross of sacrifice at any moment.

Most importantly, we should pray. Our hearts should be broken, our tears should fall, and we should beg God to continue to be their strength and joy.

Make it a point to visit the website today and force yourself to look at what none of us want to think about.

After all, they're family.

If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 4:16