Murder, Massacre and God

GFA just sent out an announcement about anti-Christian riots in the Orissa state of India. Go read.

A Hindu leader was killed by Maoists, but the Hindu riots which started soon afterward have been targeting Christians. Apparently the riots and attacks are being orchestrated too, as opposed to being semi-random outbursts of conflict. Missionaries (native and foreign), pastors, churches, and individual Christian families are being targeted.

At times we (American/Western Christians) wonder if God really cares about us when we're going through our various trials of money and security. Do the Indians and others who are being beaten, raped and murdered wonder these things too, or are those sort of wonderings things that finds fertile ground in people who don't face any sort of serious persecution?

There is angst over whether or not God actually cares about us because we lose a job, get strapped financially, or have health/mental troubles. If that doubt were to escalate with the problems we would face if we were running with our family away from a mob that is burning our house and trying to kill us and our family, it seems that it would take less than a heartbeat to deny God. Worry and doubt of God coming from casual troubles, if escalated to fear for life and family, would move from worry and doubt to hatred and rejection in the blink of an eye.

But it doesn't.

There are some pretty straight-forward and basic explanations of why God allows evil to happen in the world. I'm pretty sure those rational reasons have virtually nothing to do with why Christians who are faced with constant threat of death don't reject their Savior. Upon receiving rewards in heaven, I have no doubt that there will be untold billions of people from places and times like modern China and India where the faith and trust of believers who faced death and persevered, and their rewards will compare like the Himalayas to the Appalachians to my own.

Not the reward, but the faith, hope and love - these I envy and covet.

Obviously not enough to do anything about it though. Maybe that's part of what these little trials are for - to mold and shape us, in little, itty-bitty baby steps. I'm not sure I would survive a grown-up step toward greater faith and love.

(Obviously I shouldn't read anything other than fun, shoot-em-up sci-fi. Especially not anything to do with Christ. It might make me think or change.)