Persecution

Post date: Sep 19, 2011 1:34:10 AM

The focal image on the wall of persecution is a prayer map of the Earth, identifying areas that have significant issues with the persecution of Christians.  Some areas are outwardly hostile, using police forces, court systems and local tribunals to prohibit meetings, conversions, and Christian literature.  But other areas simply turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to local groups who terrorize Christians. 

We watch and listen to the underground church in China, worshiping the lord

and reporting on years of torture, imprisonment and mysterious disappearances.  And we are filled with awe to find that such persecution has not weakened the faith of believers, but has, rather, made them stronger in their convictions. 

The walls are covered with accounts of recent events, broken down by geographic sections.  Some displays have detailed descriptions of individual people and acts, but others simply report that the persecution is so severe and widespread that space does not permit a more detailed account of how hundreds of thousands of believers were oppressed and persecuted in just the last year or so. 

We are not surprised to find that there are many issues in the Muslim strongholds of the Middle-East, but the same is true throughout the former Soviet Union, China, India, and North Africa.  We also notice that most of southeast Asia and portions of South America and Mexico are hostile to Christianity. Many pause to wonder how long it will be until we need to update our map to include North America and the rest of western Europe?