Christians on Sri Lanka—an island country off the southern coast of India—are suffering persecution at the hands of anti-Christian zealots.
An email just received from one of our friends there reports that a native missionary’s hut was set on fire at three in the morning, but by God’s grace, Radha and his family were able to escape the raging flames.
This brother had moved to the village because he could not afford to pay his rent in the city. In Sri Lanka, rents are paid in advance for the entire year. Unable to do this, Radha found an old hut in the village that he planned to fix up. The nighttime attack forced him to return to the city where he faces eviction from his old home.
Unless he receives help soon, Radha and his family will be thrown out onto the street.
Another member of the church, a woman working at a hair dressing salon, was ordered to bow to a statue of Buddha.
She refused and was immediately fired.
Most Sri Lankans (70%) are Buddhist, with another 15% being Hindu. Christians account for only eight percent of the population and, as in most nations where Christians are a minority, they are persecuted.
Because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has had such an impact in Sri Lanka, Buddhist fundamentalists are reacting violently. Last year, a Christian church in the country’s capitol city was attacked by a mob of 500—including Buddhist monks. Everything inside the church was destroyed.
Obviously, we need to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka, that God would protect them as they stand firm in their faith. Next, we need to pray to see if God would have us give financially to help persecuted believers like Radha.
