Categories: uncategorized
Date: 01 January 2008 17:09:34
Not personally but for those in Kenya.
A story on the BBC website tells how 30 people have died after a church, in which people were seeking refuge from the violence, was burnt down. 25 of the victims are said to be children.
There was a time when a church was a sanctuary for people but those days are long gone. Just as religion is becoming less and less important in people's lives, so to is the church's former role in society. As societies become more and more secular the influence of religious leaders will become more and more marginalised. This has already happened in the West and will continue elsewhere as time goes on.
This is one of the things that the Muslim Fundamentalists have been fighting against for the past 30 years. They see our Western values as a threat to their religious beliefs. It's not the Christianity that they really fear but the spread of our godless liberal values.
Brother Andrews pointed out that radical Muslims respect those Christians who have a deep understanding and knowledge of their faith and scripture. What they cannot understand is why more Christians don't keep to their faith.
Meeting Christians I see that there are many who have nothing but a basic understanding of what their faith requires of them. They understand that they need to think of others but seldom carry this through into their daily lives. We are all guilty of getting too wrapped up in our own lives to think of others at some time.
As Christians we can also forget that we need to make time for God every day; whether that's praying, reading or worshipping doesn't matter, we just need to do something.
So for my first act of daily living through faith for this year I'll be praying for those 30 people in Kenya who have their lives taken from them.