Editorial: A quiet, unreported revolution of faith

On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, in a land half a world removed from Memphis, Tenn., a chemical attack in Syria killed at least 80 people.

Once again, the images of suffering children filled our TV screens. They struggled to breathe as they suffered the symptoms of reaction to a nerve agent. That anyone could condone such an act of barbarism is grotesque.

Almost equally disturbing is how fast those images — and news of the international response to the attack — disappeared from our media, replaced by reports of political infighting and the scandal du jour.

God hasn’t forgotten about the children in Khan Sheikhoun, in Aleppo and in other besieged towns throughout the Middle East. We shouldn’t either.

Whether it’s through the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Voice of the Martyrs or human rights organizations, we should do whatever is in our power to give aid to the hurting, to be Jesus to all those in need.

For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted. (Psalm 9:12)

Another underreported story is the quiet revolution of faith taking place in Europe as Churches of Christ minister to the wave of refugees from the Middle East.

We repeatedly hear and see reports of Bible studies, bathtub baptisms and a new zeal among people who know what it means to suffer — and now choose to suffer for the cause of Christ.

We strive to share these stories when we can, mindful of the security concerns of those converted and those serving the converted.

Know that there is good news out there, just beyond the horizon. God takes what we intend for evil and redeems it, just as he redeemed us through his Son. This darkness will not hold.

For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted. (Psalm 9:12)

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