It Doesn't Hurt until it Does

They threw whatever belongings they could carry in a sack.

And they fled.

They wept as they left their homes, grateful for family.

Then they hid. They were hunted.

They were starved. They were found. They were slaughtered.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


This is the reality of terror around the world. Our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters are dealing with an incalculable evil. Kids holding up severed heads as the pride and joy of their fathers. Youtube and other media are being flooded with people searching for videos of the massacres out of sheer shock that this is actually still happening in 2014 or morbid curiosity to the viciously, brutal forms that evil can take.

What we are witnessing here is modern day Roman Coliseum. Instead of sitting in the stands cheering and watching Christians be martyred, we sit in the comfort of our own homes, allowing the same images from hundreds of years ago into our homes. Again, humanity takes a spectator's seat to the snuffing out of life after life in some of the most brutal manners possible.

When terror reached our shores thirteen years ago, we mourned. We walked in a daze, trying to make sense of this world. We looked to God, to politics, to world leaders, and begged for justice.

We are fortunate at this point, that the closest many of us get to the brutality of the Middle East is the news media, or perhaps some of our inner cities.

Consider the fear of those fleeing the twin towers. Consider the fear of those awaiting the inevitable crash of the plane they boarded that morning in belief that they would arrive home to their families soon. That gripping, paralyzing fear is something so many people live with day after day after day... and if not fear for themselves, fear for their loved ones.

So many bravely refuse to save their own lives by giving up their religious beliefs and are martyred because of it.

I reflected and prayed on what I could do? What can I do? I'm not in the military. I can't join a religious order to go and be a missionary or aid worker. What. Can. I. Do.

You see, it is something on the news that doesn't affect us, until it does. We should never be so naive to think we are immune to persecution. We never foresaw 9/11...

It's something that doesn't hurt us, until it does. Until it hits close to home or until we know someone hurt. It doesn't matter, really, if we know someone suffering personally- as a Christian, we are called to see EVERYONE as part of the Body of Christ. When one part suffers, the whole body suffers.

Or it should, at least. Beyond the shaking heads in shame and changing the tv station...

So what to do?

I was inspired recently by the "ALS Bucket Challenge" to do something similar for CRS - Catholic Relief Services.  Sarah Bauer Sansone, Catholic Recording Artist, called me up one day and said, "Hey! I have an idea!" And thus the "CRS Pass the Candle Challenge" was formed.

The idea is this: Light a candle with your family as a sign of solidarity with our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters to raise awareness for their plight. Then donate however much or little you can to Catholic Relief Services for their aid efforts to refugee Christians, and then "pass the candle" or "nominate" someone else to do the same.

You can see our simple video below. If the link doesn't work (I'm having trouble getting it from my phone to the blog), please see my Facebook page and I'll update the video here ASAP! 

Please help get the word out. This grassroots challenge can make a difference if enough people take a few moments to help! Again, any donation amount helps. The ALS Bucket Challenge raised millions of dollars for ALS Research. Now, let's help another suffering group.

Evil will never win. Goodness and love scatter the darkness. Demons flee at the sound of His Name.

God bless you all.