Plight Of Iraqi Christians

"So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?" Galatians 4:16 NIV

These three weeks past

have been like no other

and my days have been

more like the unfolding

of someone else's life,

than my own.

Time seems more fluid to me now,

no longer a matter of hours

but more of moments and memories,

and of missing what once was.

Through days that seem never-ending

and nights that bring so little rest,

one has to question as to when

and where does this all end?

We chose to be Christians,

to love and live in peace,

yet we are the ones not welcome,

and the ones who grasp the rod

tell us to leave, pay, convert or die.

In my father's day

we were sought out by others

for our skill, craftmanship and quality,

but this day, in these days of fear,

they only seek our lives,

and look to cleanse their soil

with our blood.

I live each day in the hope

that their minds and hearts will change,

and pray that we be welcomed once more

as it was in the days of my father.

 Note: A report by the Iraqi Human Rights Society dated March, 2018 states that " about 81% of the Christian component in Iraq are missing."

* Quote from: "Minorities in Iraq face genocide, enforced demographic change, report" - The Bagdad Post, March 12, 2018

Rik Charbonneaux is a retired NE Iowan who loves all of God's Word and all of His creatures.