Stephen stoned to death, Paul beheaded, Peter crucified upside down, countless others…
Living in America we easily take religious liberty for granted. Bible stories about Christians persecuted for their faith strike us as long ago and far away.
Sunday clashes in Egypt left 26 dead, most were Coptic Christians. The promise of the Arab Spring has turned into chaos in Egypt and without the iron hand of Hosni Mubarak or the military, Christians are targeted. Samuel Tadros, a Copt and research fellow at the Hudson Institute, asks, “Will the Middle East be emptied of its Christians, like the earlier pogroms emptied by Middle East of its Jews? How will the world deal with 8 million Copts?”
A sobering answer comes from Bret Stephens in today’s Wall Street Journal: “The answer is that they won’t. The overwhelming majority of Copts do not have easy exit options and will have to fend, and fight, for themselves in a country that despises their faith, envies their wealth, and suspects their allegiance. It’s a recipe for repression and murder on a mass scale.” (A15)
“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.” That’s a peaceful prayer in America but not in Egypt. Let’s add intercessions to our prayers for persecuted Christians.
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