Early this morning Dr. Martin Salia died here in Omaha Nebraska. Dr. Salia was the second casualty from Ebola on American soil. The reason this doctor (and many of the others as well) are putting themselves in harm’s way is because they feel called by God to do so.
About 15 years ago I remember hearing missionaries constantly talking about persecution in the East. Pray for China was a constant proclamation. Today, although there is still intense persecution in the East, the focus has been Africa and the Middle East. For the past few years all you hear about are Christians being persecuted and killed in the most brutal ways. Women rapped, children beheaded and men set afire.
Earlier this year the world held its breath for Iraqi Christians who fled into the mountains in order to escape their Islamic persecutors. It seemed as though every minute that went by exponentially increased the likelihood of capture and death for these people. The real life drama climaxed with American forces dropping food and water for these starving families in the remote mountain regions.
Meanwhile back home as the President gives orders to drop food and water for the refugees in Iraq many Republicans and Christian Leaders criticize the president for not doing more. In a time where we should be united and celebratory for the relief our country is giving them, we can only think about what our talking points will be for the next election.
As a parent of two little girls that I absolutely adore, there is nothing I would not do to protect them. I cannot imagine having to be in a situation where my children lived under the constant fear of being killed. I struggle with protecting them against the invisible enemy of the boogeyman – a real enemy is almost unfathomable. Nevertheless, I would do anything in my power to protect them – even if that meant sending them away.
Such has been the case for some time now for many living in Central America. Many parents have found themselves in a situation where they were forced to send their unaccompanied children to tread across land and desert in order to be safe and free. Some estimate that as many as 50,000 children have attempted this journey; that is a medium size city of children.
All of this introspection on Christian charity, Christian persecution, and the general suffering throughout the world came to an abrupt halt when I saw this movie poster for Kirk Cameron’s new moving called “Saving Christmas”.
It’s kind of like taking a cold shower. It quickly reminded me of how disconnected Christians are from the real world and how mixed up our priorities have become.
Perspective folks, perspective.
This article is part of the Perspectives series
What do you think?
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