http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,536238,00.html

I was struck hard, this afternoon, when I read the above article about a family that was killed in Pakistan after allegedly burning a copy of the Koran. In addition, 40 Christian homes were burned in a riot.

I was affected so much, possibly due to the fact that just prior to reading the article, I was writing on the differences between Bible translations and the infighting that takes place within Christianity over who has the more "correct" translation. I realized that, as western Christians, we really are disconnected from the realities of Christian persecution abroad.

We are wrapped up in "church-world" to the point of near blindness. We obsess over worship styles, doctrinal and legal minutiae, who is wearing what and how often did so-and-so show up for church. We have become a group that seeks the experience of church in a way that we are comfortable with, having little regard for what it really means to suffer for Christ.

Every day, people are being tortured and slaughtered for their witness. Every day. I feel that we have missed the point. There are core truths that effect all of Christendom...core truths that should bring us together. Instead, we allow tiny denominational details to prevent us from becoming an effective body that can possibly protect those people that die for Jesus.

They died for Jesus, not for Calvin or Arminius. They died for Jesus, not for Luther or Constantine. They died for Jesus, not for the American religious right or the emerging church. The scope of what we are extends beyond our tolerance of rock and roll worship music.

It is time for us to grow into our global responsibility as believers. More Christians are going to be killed.