Blessed are the persecuted

It terrifies me that humanity seeks to find more ways to divide than unite. As if there is not enough that works to separate us from our sisters and brothers, it seems that we seek out ways to divide ourselves from our neighbor. And even worse -- we name call, demonize and persecute those that are our kindred (if we were brave enough to see that all humanity is in fact kindred).

My prayers go up to my fellow Christians in Iraq who only meet further persecution. The headline in the New York Times reports: Iraq’s Christians Flee as Extremist Threat Worsens. And my heart breaks. The reporter mentions that Iraq has some sacred history as historians believe it to be the home of the Garden of Eden and the locale of the city of Nineveh (though that's not really a good thing). And yet, the Christians are persecuted. Just as Christians are everywhere. More and more these days as our faith is made into an institution that divides more than unites. The words "sin" and "sinner" frequent the lips of my kindred in faith. And so we forget that we are all kindred and we demonize. It's depressing.

I pray for all of those Christians that are forgotten, neglected, ignored and persecuted. I pray for all of my sisters and brothers in faith who think that the rest of the world doesn't care. I pray for the destruction of the walls that separate us. I pray for the restoration of community and the unity of my kindred. I pray for all of these things knowing that God's time is so different from my own.