I Corinthians 12:26 “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
As I make observations during my first month in Washington DC and before I begin a series of posts related to the upcoming election, one thought has struck me about the state of Christianity in our world today. We are under attack. Whether it is across the globe or around the block, the name of our Saviour is increasingly unwelcome.
In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). With wording that brings to mind the Free Exercise Clause of our Constitution’s Bill of Rights, Article 18 of the UDHR states:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
In practice, however, these rights are far from universal; they are at risk even in the United States. In over 40 countries, Christians are actively persecuted by their governments. While Christians in Syria and Iraq are currently in the news, over 100 million fellow believers worldwide face regular and severe opposition because of their faith in Christ. While we are rightfully concerned about the increasing intolerance of Christianity in our country, these brothers and sisters in Christ are truly suffering and deserve our prayers.
PLEASE PRAY FOR OTHER CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING FOR THEIR FAITH. Through our prayerful support, we should suffer alongside them. We should also urge our government to support them via the universal declaration that is so frequently ignored, while not forgetting to abide by such rights at home.
