Recently I was reading through the latest newsletter from Voice of the Martyrs. An organization that has devoted themselves to shedding light into the stories and lives of persecuted Christians from around the world. I have been reading their monthly newsletters for years and the stories have always been challenging, encouraging and thought provoking. But as I read this month’s stories of persecution in India, something just wasn’t sitting well with me.
Gruesome story
One story in particular really bothered me. It was about a pastor who was leaving his church one evening after a prayer meeting. On his way home he was met by a small mob of Hindu radicals set on purging their land from all impurities, namely Christians. As they took the pastor they began assaulting him and shortly after one of the mob took a large rock and smashed the pastor’s head, ultimately killing him. As if that wasn’t enough the mob then began to dismember his body limb by limb. When they had finished mutilating the body, the participants in the killing began chanting and dancing around wearing sections of the pastor’s intestines around their necks. This story was told to the organization by the Pastors wife, who is now left to suffer this horrific loss and pain.
Why God?
As I read this story I felt anger rising up within me, and that anger mixed with confusion. Why would God allow his precious children to endure such atrocities? The history of the church is paved with martyr’s blood just like this pastor. Why should the journey of those who trust in Jesus be filled with such pain and suffering while the wicked live in pleasure and delight? What parent would want this for their children? These were just some of the questions that plagued my heart and mind for days after reading the stories.
Lines blurred
Everything became blurred to me. Reading and studying the bible became difficult. When I would try to pray I just couldn’t get any words out. I was struggling in every capacity to make sense of what seemed to me at the time complete lunacy. Then one day I was walking around a peaceful cemetery where I go to pray sometimes, and as I muddled through my thoughts and prayers I decided to just ask God all of my questions.
Does he care now?
As I prayed and asked God my questions it was almost like scales fell from the eyes of my heart. I began to see more and more clearly. My anger and confusion were born out of a heart and mind that was stuck in this life. I began to see that if this life, in this world is all we are hoping and living for it is lunacy to voluntarily walk a path of suffering and death. But then I began to wonder if that pastor who endured so much found it all to be worth it. I thought of the words of Paul in Romans 8:18
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Does the pastor even remember his sufferings now that he is immersed in all of the glories of Heaven? Do you think he cares how he died as he now has pleasure beyond anything he ever experienced? As he sees his Savior face to face, in awe of his beauty and power, what is that suffering compared to an eternity of pure delight?
Where is your treasure?
I found in myself that I had become so nearsighted, so focused on the here and now. Eternity for me was too far away. I started to become adjusted to this world and was leaning on my own fleshly wisdom and thinking. But my eyes were opened that evening. Opened to the incomprehensible glory that awaits faithful followers of Christ in the next life. However many years we may get on this earth they are like a speck of dust compared to the forever we will spend in eternity with our God. I truly believe that if that pastor from India had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t change anything.
Jesus tells us that where our treasure is that’s where our heart will be as well, so the question is…where is your treasure?