persecution

10 years ago tomorrow, something horribly devastating happened.  A plane flew into the World Trade Center in New York City, New York.  At first, no one knew if it was an accident, or an attack.  Minutes later, a second plane flew directly into the second World Trade Center.  I was a freshman in college who had been told all about the woes of missing class.  So, to class I went, and the professor told us, nothing else was going to happen.  We bowed our heads to pray, as was the practice at Asbury College, and when we looked up and looked at the TV, the pentagon was hit.  I don’t remember a whole lot about that day after that.  I remember hearing that a plane had gone down in Pittsburgh.  I immediately thought of my father who was working at the largest building down town on a top floor. My heart skipped about 30 beats as I ran to the nearest phone.  Trying to call home was no small feat, all the lines were busy, the whole nation was talking on the phones to each other. 

I remember finding out that the plane had actually gone down in a field across the lake from where I went and worked at summer camp.  10 years ago, America was changed forever.  Everything and everyone in America banded together and worked together to get through this tragedy.  I can also remember during a special chapel service, they had an open mike and one girl got up and started preaching about how America had been asking for it – and she wasn’t surprised, saddened, but not surprised…  She was not American and pretty much disliked after that.  The military had an amazing sign up rate and many of them were my class mates as we had just graduated high school. 

10 years- 10 YEARS!  I guess in the grand scheme of things, 10 years isn’t all that long but seeing how much I have changed, the world has changed, kids have changed in that time period, it IS a long time, a lifetime for the children who lost parents. 

The official reason for the attacks was listed as a Jihad.  A spiritual war to eliminate those that are “unholy” in the eyes of the Muslim extremists.  The terrorists don’t and can’t acknowledge our God, believed that America had become 100% immoral.  I would love to tell you that persecution for your faith is over.  There is no persecution going on.  I would love to tell you that, but that is not true.  The fact is that more people are being killed and abused for Christ TODAY than there ever has been.  Even when Caesar was using Christians for entertainment and letting people watch the Christians be eaten alive by lions. 

No I am not going to say that America is a Christian nation- although that I how we were founded.  I am not going to say that everyone that was “persecuted” that day and perished was a Christian.  What I am going to say is that persecution is still alive.  Whether it is due to someone else’s beliefs or our own. 

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5 10-12

 So remember, when you feel down trodden for being a Christian, for following Christ, you are blessed.  Please remember the victims, survivors and all effected by 9/11 – but every day – remember those that are dying for their beliefs, that are being beaten and abused and possibly put to death for loving Christ and for following HIS ways.  Remember them in your prayers too.