According to Gospel for Asia, four of their missionaries in India were severely beaten last week by anti-Christian activists. In this case, the violence is believed to have come from Hindu fundamentalists. The missionaries were showing an Indian made film on the life of Christ called Man of Mercy. Sadly, but not surprisingly (2 Tim 3:12; John 15:18ff.), when the police were called, they confiscated the movie and equipment, then arrested the missionaries who had been beaten up by the radicals. The four missionaries have since been released, but the movie and equipment is still providing entertainment for the police. Who knows, maybe they’ll watch the movie and be saved from their wicked ways. God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. We should remember our brothers and sisters in chains. Perhaps, we should pray for those in India today.
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Gregory C. Cochran 
TC,
You are right that comfort and ease have taken its toll on the Christian faith. Interestingly, in response to your question, I’m not sure that Christianity in the West is supposed to be different from Christianity in the East when it comes to persecution. Paul writes in 2 Tim 3:12 that any Christian who attempts to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted. If we live in a manner worthy of the gospel, we should expect persecution, whether we live in the East or the West. The form of persecution will be different (for instance, we might experience slanders and jeers rather than chains and swords). Still, we are supposed to offend the world with our godliness–all of us. Light shines in the darkness; it is the nature of light. And there will always be those who persist in hating the light.
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Thanks for the information on our fellow Christians in India. From what I understand, you have a great concern for the persecuted church, and rightly so (Heb 13:3). I have been doing a lot of thinking about the reality of persecution in the face of the Christian life. However, I do not think that this is the reality of the Christian life for the Western church. To me it seems, that (among other things) the comfort and ease of the American church has damaged biblical “faith”. By this I mean, we seem to have no true sense of what it means to believe in the person and the work of Jesus Christ, and thus, what the Gospel of the Kingdom is. At the same time, our brothers and sisters in a persecuted context have proven to be pillars of belief in a savage world.
What are your thoughts on the comparison of living the Christian life in a persecuted and non-persecuted context. Specifically, the damage of comfort on the church. As well as the positive aspects.
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