After reading about Fr. John Slinger’s recent escape from death, having been attacked by a mentally ill man in Tanzania, I read about the 3 British Christian missionaries who were repatriated from Nigeria. They, together with a fourth missionary who died as a prisoner, had been working for the health care (particularly sight) of people in the Delta Region of Nigeria, when they were kidnapped. As far as I am aware there was no religious motive to the kidnapping, just as there appears to be no religious motive for the attack on Fr. John. However, Fr. John would not have been in Tanzania and the 4 missionaries would not have been in Nigeria were it not for their Christian Faith which encouraged them to leave their homes and families to follow Christ by caring for and showing love for people in different parts of Africa. They were not hurt by an attack on their Faith but were hurt because they answered the call of Christ.
There are thousands upon thousands of Christians answering Christ’s call all over the world. Often they are seen as odd or do-gooders. They are ignored or looked down upon or ridiculed by those who don’t share their vision of the world. It is easy to misrepresent them or to point out faults, but how many people care enough about their fellow human beings to put their lives on the line?
Michael Heap