Martin Accad presents in this blog post 3 possible response to persecution. The first, revenge, is incompatible with Christ’s gospel of love. The second, self-victimization and demonization of others, equally incompatible with the Christian vision, seems to be the preferred option of many conservative American Christians.
The third option, active forgiveness and reconciliaation is the only option that fully represents the vision of the Kingdom of God, inaugurated by Christ. May we all choose this path, by God’s grace.

By Martin Accad

The Arab Baptist Theological Seminary has just completed its fourteenth Middle East Conference/Consultation, organized by its Institute of Middle East Studies, the highlights of which were presented last week through our blog. Under the overarching concept of “disorienting times,” we explored the four themes of “Persecution and Suffering,” “Emigration,” “Hopelessness and Despair,” and “Minoritization.” The four themes were well integrated and tied together through a specific logical framework: The persecution that the MENA church has suffered historically has driven it to a sense that its status as minority was not simply a matter of numbers, but that it has been subjected to a process of subjugation which we referred to as “minoritization.” This process, which has led many to despair and to a general sense of hopelessness, continues to drive many to the search for new hope through emigration.

The bombing of two churches in Egypt on…