IN MY DARKNESS HOURS: The 'ISIS' of Pakistan Strikes Again

Photo: A mother and brother hold the body of their loved one who died during the attack.

Last Sunday, March 15, the Taliban attacked two churches in Lahore, Pakistan, with suicide bombers. Seventeen people were killed and over 80 others were horribly wounded; the Taliban has warned that more attacks are coming.

Within 10 minutes of the attack, our Pakistani staff were at the bomb site aiding victims, and assessing damage and the help the victims would need. What they witnessed was horrific and beyond description. The picture above is the closest thing we can show you of the carnage that the Christians suffered.

The Christians of Pakistan have suffered for decades under the hand of a group of radical Islamists that are as brutal as ISIS, yet their attacks don't get the same media attention and therefore the Christians do not receive the help they desperately need.

Lack of education for their children, bombings, kidnappings of young Christian women, and regular imprisonments and life sentences (or murder) for those who say the wrong thing that offends a Muslim are all a regular part of the life of a Christian in Pakistan. The Christians of Pakistan are, in fact, one of the most persecuted groups of Christians in the world. Metaphorically, they are locked in a room with a violent psychopath and the government refuses to protect them since they are "people of the book."

The most frustrating thing for us is that this incredibly brave and courageous group of believers receives scant attention for their suffering. The media only cover the most egregious attacks so they live out their suffering in obscurity; if there was more attention, they would receive more help

How You Can Help

The government has said they will aid Sunday's victims with some cash awards but what we have seen is that their payments are often a Band-Aid; not a long-term solution. That's where ICC steps in.

In tragedies like this, when families lose their bread winner, we provide a small shop for them so that the wife can sustain the family for the rest of their lives.

We provide long-term, quality educational support for children of the victims so they don't fall into generations of extreme poverty. For those who face major medical problems, we step in with long-term medical care, prosthetic limbs, physical therapy and other needs that will not be provided by their government.

The Father's Call

The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none,

and their tongue is parched with thirst.

I, the LORD, will answer them Myself,

as the God of Israel I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 41:17

We do this work not because we are "do-gooders" but because of two things. First, the Lord tells us in Scripture that He is alive in the body of His saved children via His Holy Spirit and therefore He feels the pain in His body. Do a study on "the body of Christ" and you will see this truth unfolded. The second reason is that the Lord calls us to relieve suffering and to rescue the oppressed; especially the family of believers around the world. Watch ICC's just-released video on how we're providing for the victims of these attacks.

To partner with us to help the victims of Sunday's bombing as well as the hundreds and even thousands of other victims in Pakistan, click here or the graphic below.