If you take a look at the picture to the right, you undoubtedly begin to ask some major questions. One, what is going on? Two, where is this? Three, what are the details? Four, does this apply to me or deserve action on my part. Let's briefly look at those questions.
One, this is a photo of a fire at a major Coptic Christian church where fundamental Islamists set fire in order to get their point across. The link below is to an article done by CNN telling a little bit about what exactly is going on. I, myself, want to do more to research and get the whole story, and, until then, will not try to pretend like I know it all.
Two, this is in Cairo, Egypt. Months after many protesters and citizens across the country chanted in miraculous praise, as former President Mubarak left office following violent and persistent rebellions, believing for peace, freedom, and prosperity the citizens of Egypt still fight hatred, violence, and bigotry from within. They face the longest battle which has ever existed in history, namely Islam vs. Christianity. Many have their opinions, but few know the truth behind the ideology prompting these quarrels. I will not get into it, as many have written books upon books about the phenomenon, but I will say this: do not react unless it is on your knees. Do not speak unless it is truth and peace. Do not raise a hand unless it is to show love and honor God. The last thing needed in these situations is more hatred, more slurs, more condemnation, and more othering (a term encompassing how people create a concept of "me vs. them;" a polarization that takes place between groups when members of either side demean another; a casting down of another with an ensuing uplifting of the one doing the casting down). So, please, do not react out of anything but love, compassion, and broken heartedness no matter how hard it is.
Three, I urge you to look into it for yourself, but here are some details. Salafist Muslims attacked the Saint Mena Coptic church believing that their was a Muslim women being held inside. The thought was that the woman married a Christian man and was being kept inside the church. Groups like al-qaeda warned that all Christians in Egypt would be "legitimate targets" since the deadline to give up the alleged woman passed. Six were killed with 144 injured as gunfire rang out in the nation's capitol. The blaze seen above and in the article is of another church, Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Church, to which was set fire as the attacks continued.
Four, at first glance this is just a bad story- nothing for you or anyone to care about. I urge you to think otherwise. The first reason is that I put this story up for a reason above all the other stories; I will let you connect the dots. The second is that these are brothers and sisters in Christ dying violent deaths, not even as martyrs but as witnesses of religious legalism and radical ideology nonsensical to sensible human beings. Please pray. Pray for safety, assurance in faith, peace, joy, strength, and love. Of all things pray for God's love to be shown their. Death is fine, for as Paul said “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”. How glorious it would be to die a true martyr's death, or even to die having fought the good fight and run the race! Pray Christians would be that strong though. Pray I would be that strong.
~Alex
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