Christian persecution has come to America in the form of arson and hate crimes towards numerous Christian churches of both black and white congregations.
In all, nine churches have been burned or damaged seriously by the fires.
An Alabama paper called The Crimson White has written an open letter to the arsonists that reads in part...
To the arsonists who set fire to nine Baptist churches in Alabama over the past week: You hurt something that belongs to God.
No, you didn't destroy his houses, because God no longer lives in houses made with hands. He lives in the hearts of those people who still worshiped Sunday despite their pain.
You hurt his people with your hate. You destroyed the places these people built with their hands to give glory to Christ and to spread his gospel.
But did they show you hate in return?
No. They only showed kindness, telling every reporter they only wanted you to come to repentance for what you've done.
You won't win.
The Huntsville Times is reporting that the fires were "intentionally set", and the article goes on to say...
In truth, there can be no rational motive for what transpired. It was an act of hate, of meanness and of cowardice. The search for motive will primarily be to determine whether there was a twisted philosophy that guided the arsonist's hand, and whether others share it. If so, cohorts must be prevented from committing similar acts.
...
The Southern Baptist Association is offering financial aid to the churches that vow to rebuild. The SBA is even helping one of the churches that wasn't one of its members. That's true Christian charity.
And it echoes the spirit of the pastor who told a television reporter on Friday that he hoped God could forgive the people who burned the pastor's beloved church.
No politics intended, but perhaps this is a prime example of the separation of church and state. The ministers and their flock can speak of God's love and mercy and forgiveness in this matter. It's up to the state - in the form of law enforcement - to track down these thugs and to arrest them and to give them their days in court.
These latest fires that happened on Tuesday followed a few other fires that took place last week. Those congregations met for Sunday worship services despite their ruined churches. WSFA TV of Montgomery Alabama reported on the churches holding those services by saying,
Now, through prayer, the congregations are proving that a church is not the building, but the people. All five churches went ahead with Sunday morning services.
The congregations might now be considered religious refugees. They are banished from their church homes by an invisible enemy, but not defeated.
"It is a crisis," said Pastor James Weed of Shady Grove Baptist Church. "But God's people usually do their best work in a crisis."
Join me in praying for the Lord's swift hand to capture these people that did this, and that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.