what can i do to help persecuted christians

Get-go with these 4 steps, and all together, we'll get somewhere.

My friend Michael, his married woman, and 3 children currently live under self-imposed house-arrest in the giant Pakistani city of Karachi. And all considering they are Catholics. Three and a half years ago, Michael was recognized by Muslim extremists, pulled out of the motorized rickshaw he used every bit a taxi, and beaten nearly to death. Then the Islamic militants torched the taxi, destroying Michael's simply source of income.

When I tell this story, people's first question is often "what tin people in America do for the persecuted Church in faraway places like Pakistan?" It'due south piece of cake to have a sense of frustration and futility: millions of Christians, particularly in Muslim countries, face all manner of mistreatment and persecution, from humiliation and harassment to abductions, forced marriages, physical assaults, and fifty-fifty death. Tin nosotros American Christians, separated by such people by thousands of miles, really do anything?

The respond, unequivocally, is yes. And I should know — when my family and I moved to Bangkok, Thailand, in 2014, I had no idea at that place was an aviary seeker crisis there, a effect of thousands of Pakistani Christians fleeing persecution in their native land. Over the years, I learned to go the advocate of these Christians, many of whom are nothing less than heroes. Here are a few of the things you can do for these marginalized Christian populations.

Prayer

During a recent interview I gave, the host acknowledged that readers and listeners can pray for the persecuted Church. But he likewise wanted to hear about the more practical ways to assistance. Yet I would argue that prayer is non only the first place to start, but actually quite practical.

We should begin with prayer beginning because in encountering any problem, we need Christ'southward assist to foster an interior disposition of humility, trust, and dearest. Nosotros cannot do annihilation apart from Christ, and we require the inner spiritual forcefulness that derives from prayer if we want to be of help to persecuted Christians.

But prayer actually does attain things. I witnessed this immediate. I saw prayerful Pakistani Christians rewarded in means large and small: food, schooling, and medical intendance for their children; friends to advocate on their behalf or visit them when detained past local authorities; and even finding a new home. Four members of 1 such family resettled to the Netherlands, where they are edifice a new life. All of this would have been impossible without their many invocations.

Donations

There are actually many organizations that provide fiscal relief to persecuted Christians, non just in Pakistan, only beyond the Muslim world. The Knights of Columbus runs one such organization. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recommends several. The Barnabas Fund, though non Cosmic, is too excellent, and provides many harrowing stories of Christians suffering for their faith today. As someone who regularly gave to Pakistani Catholics who attended our parish in Bangkok, I was always amazed at how even small regular donations made a tremendous affect in the survival of impoverished Christians.

Friendship

Often the terrible bug facing the Church seem remote when we don't know anyone immediately involved. That was frequently the case for me before befriending many Pakistani Catholics, who fabricated the suffering of the global Church building present to me. Even if there are no Christian communities near y'all that take a human relationship with the persecuted faithful across the world, there are means to befriend those in demand. The Barnabas Fund, for example, provides a way to support a family unit or sponsor a child in places where Christians suffer mistreatment.

Advocate

When my wife and I returned to the States, we started contacting politicians regarding the plight of persecuted Christians in Thailand. Often their staffers ignored u.s.a.. But we besides got through: Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey actually cited some of the stories of my friend Michael during a congressional subcommittee hearing. Our political leaders are going to focus their attention on what their constituents intendance about, then let them know that the suffering of marginalized Christian communities matters to you — and peradventure send them some literature that educates them nearly this crisis.

Y'all can also advocate by writing letters to your local newspaper, or even contacting your diocesan paper and asking them to feature a story on persecuted Christians. Yous could besides organize an event at your local parish regarding the persecuted Church. This includes inviting a speaker, or doing a novena, or having a Mass said. All of these in their ain unique fashion raise awareness most this crisis, and orient others towards helping those in need.

So bring together me in this nifty endeavour to bring relief and restoration to our brothers and sisters in religion across the globe. Not only will you be approving those desperate for your help. You will find yourself blessed in the process. And, as our Lord Himself told us: "Truly, I say to you lot, as you did information technology to one of the least of these my brethren, you did information technology to me" (Matthew 25:40).

~

Casey Chalk is the author of The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Organized religion in Muslim Lands (Sophia Institute Press).

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Source: https://aleteia.org/2021/12/28/how-i-can-help-persecuted-christians-from-my-home-in-america/

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