"As Orthodox Easter approaches — Orthodoxy being the most native form of Christianity practiced by the indigenous Christians of the Middle East — it is well to reflect on the status of post “Arab Spring” Christianity. A sampling of the many ruined and destroyed churches follows:"
ICC Note: Christians in Niger are praying that Muslim attackers who have persecuted them would turn from Sauls to Pauls, repenting of their attacks on followers of Christ and putting their faith in Jesus. After the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo printed images of the Muslim prophet Muhammad in mid-January, Muslims in Niger rioted, burning Christian churches and looting Christian homes. Now months later, those who were attacked are seeking to extend forgiveness and the love of Christ to those who have offended them.
International Christian Concern - April 17, 2015
By Leah Marieanne Klett
4/17/2015 Niger (The Gospel Herald) - Christians living in Niger, West Africa have offered Christ-like forgiveness to the radical Muslims who destroyed their homes and churches, are are continuing to share the Gospel in the region.
On January 17, hundreds of Muslims, angered by the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad published by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, destroyed 69 churches and 11 Christian homes. Ten Christians lost their lives and hundreds more were injured in the wake of the deadly rampage.
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The Resurrection of Christ is an undoubted, historical fact confirmed precisely, reliably and fully by the Gospels, those unique first-century documents.
More than 20 years after the Resurrection, the Apostle Paul bore witness of the risen Christ: “After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep” (Corinthians 15:6).
This means that the majority of those witnesses, who with their own eyes beheld Christ, Who had risen on the third day, were still alive at that time, and were able to confirm the reality of that miracle to anyone who doubted it. Thanks to their life, struggles and preaching, Christianity spread throughout the whole world.
During Bright Week, after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Church daily invites us to join together in procession. The hymn “Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ” is chanted repeatedly in the church on those days. It summons us to enter into the world and proclaim the truth of this greatest of miracles, not so much, of course, in word as by good example, deeds and life, just as did those who beheld Christ with their own eyes...
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Baltimore, MD (IOCC) — April 15, 2015 — Last week's attacks on Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp just outside of Damascus, Syria, has left nearly 20,000 of its residents trapped with little access to food, water, electricity or outside aid. The UN has described the conditions there as "beyond inhumane" and is calling for full protection of civilians and humanitarian access.
International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) with its church partner in Syria, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, is assessing the urgent needs of displaced families that managed to escape, and is prepared to provide for clothing, hygiene kits, medical services, and psychosocial support for those in need. IOCC/GOPA is also aware of the plight of more than 600 families that fled to Bet Sham and Yalda, but these areas are now under conflict, and inaccessible.
The small Damascus enclave of Yarmouk has been home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees for decades. Syria's civil war has severely degraded the quality of life there over the past two years, depriving families of access to food, water, and medical aid.
IOCC, an ACT Alliance member, is providing immediate assistance to displaced families and elderly who have endured four years of a brutal war. IOCC has provided relief to 2.3 million vulnerable people inside Syria since 2012.
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