Copyright © 2011 Grace Family Church of Rhode Island

Recent news of Kingri Masih, a Pakistani Christian who received a death sentence for blasphemy in Pakistan have once again brought to our attention the fact that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are presently suffering hardships or persecution because of their faith.

Kingri Masih was born into a Christian family and later converted to Islam. After some time, he re-converted back to Christianity, and that's when his problems began. A confrontation with a Muslim leader lead to Kingri being accused of having denied Islam and having made derogatory comments against the Islamic prophet Muhammad.  This accusation eventually lead to a formal charge under Pakistani law for blasphemy.

CLAAS, a Pakistani Christian legal group reports that in Pakistan a Christian can freely convert to Islam, but a Muslim cannot convert to Christianity without being considered as an apostate. According to Islamic law, an apostate should be executed. However, this religious law does not find its equivalent in Pakistani legislation. Due to this, some Muslim tend to recur to section 295-C of Pakistani penal code, which prohibits blasphemy under penalty of death, to kill an apostate.

For most of us being Christians does not require great sacrifices, so we often find it difficult to understand the type of faith, dedication and conviction that it takes to embrace Christ at the cost of one's own physical life. We may have experienced some trouble because of our beliefs, and at times even some form of persecution, but most of us have not been confronted with death for our faith. So, when a story like the one of Kingri is brought to our attention, we often ask ourselves how we would respond in similar situations. It is in the face of such questions that our meditation takes a serious turn.

First of all, we should ask ourselves how reading such news impacts us. How do we respond? Are we moved by compassion toward the victims and indignation toward the intolerance and the injustice perpetrated? Or do we remain almost indifferent, as we often do with news that are about people we don't know, far away from us, as if they were in a totally different world? How would we react if our own child, or our physical brother was treated like that?

Then, do we ask ourselves about our faith: why do we believe? Would we be able to defend our faith even in the face of death? Are we that serious about Christ in our lives that our faith becomes the most important thing, something worth dying for? Or are we too busy and too drawn by the "good things" of this life that we don't even find the time to ask ourselves such questions? If so, then perhaps the thorns of the cares of this life are suffocating the good seed of the Word of God that has been planted in us.

Persecution is not new to Christianity. You may say that in every age there has been one form or another of persecution aimed at the destruction of our faith. Yet, as we read the book of acts and look at the historical record, together with persecution we find a strength, a power and a determination that can easily leave us dumbfounded, asking ourselves whatever happened to such fervor and such power of the Spirit.

Perhaps, today, in our peaceful western society, our worst enemy is not the persecutor, but our own complacency. As we take so much for granted, we loose the fervor, the meaning, the vision that make our faith and our relationship with Jesus something so important that it is worth dying for.

It is my hope and prayer that as we read such terrible news of the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, we will be moved to look deeper into our faith, into our relationship with Christ; that we may be moved to take less for granted, and to earnestly pray for the brother or sister who is suffering for Jesus' sake. We are one body, not just with each other within the boundary of our local congregations, and not just within our respective denominations. We are one great worldwide body, members of one another, rejoicing together and crying together. We are called to carry each other's burdens, and to encourage one another to good works, especially toward those of the household of the faith.

The apostle Peter was inspired to write his first letter to encourage those who suffer persecution and affliction because of the faith. Let's read it again, but this time with a new, fresh perspective. Let's read it with our brothers and sisters in mind, people like Kingri, who are suffering right now for the sake of Christ. This time, let's not ask ourselves what the words of Peter mean to us, but rather what they must mean to those who are persecuted and suffering for their faith in Jesus.  Then, let's ask the Lord how we can make a difference.

Let's pray for one another and especially for those in need. Let's be one before the Throne of God, interceding for one another and helping one another as He grants us the ability to do so.

God bless you.