In the Gospel of John, Jesus comforted his disciples — who would face severe persecution — with these words: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
We know of no better words of comfort for the families of scores of Egyptian Christians who were slaughtered or injured as they left a New Year’s Day church service recently in the city of Alexandria. Twenty-one died and many more were wounded in the terrorist bombing.
Christians make up 10 percent of the population of Muslim-dominated Egypt. Not only rogue terrorists are intolerant of Egypt’s Christian minority, but so is Egypt’s government. Last year, the government used deadly violence to prevent the construction of a church near Cairo. And in 2009, 250,000 pigs used by Christian garbage collectors to dispose of organic waste were slaughtered, destroying the Christians’ livelihood.
“The Christians saw it as an expression of Muslim disgust at pigs …,” The Associated Press reported, noting that the government used the excuse that the slaughter promoted health.
In Iraq, meanwhile, it was only two short months ago that 68 people peacefully practicing their faith in a church were killed in a siege and hostage-taking by terrorists.