Minute for Orissa State

This Blog turns our attention to India, to the State of Orissa, where a violent Hindu pogrom continues to rage. You may remember several years ago that Graham Staines and his two sons were incinerated in their van while they slept. They were Christian missionaries serving selflessly the poor of that region. A Hindu nationalist group called the BJP aims to rid India of all Christians and their activities have flared again. and has spread throughout nine districts within the State. Reliable sources are reporting that truckloads of militants from other Indian States are in support and have armed themselves with bombs, swords and guns to pounce on defenceless Christians. Recently a mob of around 2000 Hindus attacked a church service in one village. Some fled, others were forced to convert to Hinduism at the point of the sword. The police choose not to intervene. Where Christians are fleeing to refugee camps for safety, militants are seeking to foul the drinking water with poisonous chemicals and stealing the food supplies because they object to Christians 'eating at government expense'. In one particular region, a large mob of local Hindus invaded a Mission Action Prayer Fellowlship, beat the pastor and believers and burnt the church's Bibles, furniture, musical instruments, pulpit and cross. The brought a media team and all the action was telecast live. I could add more details of vicious violence but you can see that what is going on calls for urgent prayer. Let us pray for God's intervention to protect the lives of His people. Let us also pray for the Holy Spirit to bring comfort and grace to those who are grieving the loss of loved ones and for the 50,000 Christians who have been displaced. Let us pray also that the Christians will emerge from this united in brotherly love and faith in Jesus Christ. May God use the shame of this violence to trigger a national awakening in India which will reject Hindu nationalism and provide the Church with an opportunity to share the gospel in new ways.

B T