While celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday morning, three churches in Sri Lanka were targeted by suicide bombers, leaving over 320 dead and several hundred more injured. We may be on the other side of the globe, but we should not consider ourselves removed from the situation. So what can and should we do as followers of Jesus Christ in response to the tragic events of Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. Here are three suggestions.
First, Keep Informed about the Global Church. Visit www.opendoorsusa.org or www.persecution.com and learn more about the persecuted church across the globe. Bookmark the page, sign up for the newsletter and prayer guides, and read the headlines. Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs are great resources for staying informed of the experience of followers of Jesus Christ globally. They also provide opportunities to give and mobilize to assist our persecuted brothers and sisters.
Second, Pray for the Persecuted Church. pray for Christians in Sri Lanka and other countries where followers of Jesus Christ experience persecution for their faith. Sri Lanka is ranked 46th on Open Doors Watch List of the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians. Pray for their witness and courage as they regularly risk their lives to gather as the church and worship.
Finally, Pray for those Who Persecute. It can be tempting for us to harbor ill feelings toward the bombers and those associated with them, but Jesus taught us to take those feelings captive and instead pursue a different attitude and action. In Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27-28, Jesus calls his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. While we rightly mourn the deaths of our Christian brothers and sisters, our hearts should also break for those who are blinded to the truth of the gospel. Our mourning is mingled with rejoicing for those who died as followers of Jesus Christ because they are present with the Lord, but this is not so for those who died having rejected Christ. That is a tragedy of eternal proportions. So as you pray for the surviving victims and the families, also remember every family who has suffered loss, those of the persecuted and those of the persecuting.
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