Still Desperately Needed: More Help for the Iraqi People

So much has been happening over these past few months involving loss of life. A senseless shooting near my area that was done by the powerful against the powerless. An apparent suicide by a beloved celebrity who seemed to have everything to live for. More recently, over 20 women have been coming forward to declare that a well-known, respected and beloved celebrity had sexually abused them. Recently, other shootings have happened in the US and out of the US, which have made headlines. But one situation is more urgent, more desperate, more disturbing and more heartbreaking. Why? The murders are being committed on a mass scale. The victims are our brothers and sisters in Christ (for the most part). The survivors are suffering endlessly. Today, months after the victims of ISIS (Islamic State Iraq Syria) in Iraq were being shown on the news, I saw something in my Newsfeed, to the effect that these people still desperately need our help. Just because they are no longer making the headlines does not mean their dire needs have gone away.

If you have been following the news at all, you have heard about the dire situation in Iraq. You may have seen the heartbreaking and graphic images of suffering, terror and bloodshed. You may, like me, wrestle with feelings of helplessness and perplexity. You may admire the heroic efforts of those who are right there, on the ground, helping these endlessly suffering individuals. You, like me, are probably in no position to go and help our suffering brothers and sisters in Jesus. If you have been hearing about the beheading of children, the raping and murders of women, and the hangings of men, you are no doubt sickened, disgusted and heartbroken. Yet what can we ordinary people do to begin to be a solution?

1). Pray, pray, pray, if you are a Christian who believes in the power of prayer. We can all pray, as Christians. We need to pray that God will use these horrors to open the hearts of radical and moderate Muslims and grant many "Saul to Paul" conversions to many Muslims in and out of Iraq. We need to pray that survivors of these horrors will be given safety, shelter, care, and peace. Let's pray for God's mercy and comfort the Christians remaining in Iraq, many elderly or disabled and forced to convert to Islam. WE need to call on God to deliver Iraq. God uses our prayers to work His wonders!

2). Advocacy. All of us can help in this way. Get the word out and tell others! It is clear that use of social media for advocacy can make a powerful difference, and the more we post about this, the more people will be reminded that this is not going away and remains urgent! You can start with sharing this post. If you use Facebook, join my group right here. If you do not use social networks or the Internet much, you can still use the good old word of mouth method.

3). Give. If you feel it in your heart to do this, there are two nonprofits that exist to serve our persecuted brothers and sisters in Jesus all over the world. Both have accessible giving tabs if you elect to give online. They have physical addresses for those who prefer to send checks or money orders. These nonprofits are Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors. They do not help only Christians but all the minority religions that are ISIS victims in this current crisis.

The time clock keeps ticking for these believers and for other religious minorities, even as they will need help over the long haul. We can all be part of the solution.