When Neutrality Is Not an Option: Why the Church Must Use Its Resources to Defend Christian and Ethnic Minorities in Myanmar (Danny Bawibikthawng) Photo From Christiannity Today: Smoke and fire in Thantlang in Chin State caused by shelling from Junta military troops Introduction: A Moral Crisis for the Church The 2021 military coup in Myanmar has intensified a longstanding campaign of brutal oppression against the country’s ethnic and religious minorities. Christians, especially from the Chin, Kachin, and Karen ethnic groups, are being targeted through systematic violence, forced displacement, imprisonment, and the destruction of churches and entire villages. According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2023 , more than 2.5 million people have been displaced, and hundreds of churches have been deliberately destroyed by the regime. What makes this crisis even more urgent is that many of the Christian immigrant congregations in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Europe, par...
God’s Man, Your Pastor: Love Him and Be Blessed ( Jer. 3:15; 1 Thess 5:12–13; 2 Kings 4) (Danny Bawibikthawng) 1. God’s Gift of Shepherds Jeremiah 3:15 declares, “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” Pastors are not chosen by human hands but by God Himself. They are gifts from the Lord to guide, teach, and care for His people. In many immigrant congregations today, pastors serve far beyond the pulpit. They pray, preach, translate documents, take members to hospitals and immigration offices, enroll children in school, and help families find jobs and housing. They read members’ letters, fill out immigration forms, and attend to emergencies at every hour. Yet many receive very limited financial support from the church, often not enough to provide for their own families, and in many cases the church does not allow them to work outside to supplement their income. Still, these pastors labor faithfully, carr...
“If We Do Not Unite, We Will Perish as Fools”: A Theological and Moral Plea for Chin Unity in a Time of Crisis (Danny Bawibikthawng) Abstract The Chin people of Burma, long known for their courage and Christian identity, now face an internal threat as grave as any external oppression. In the aftermath of the 2021 military coup, tribal rivalries, power struggles, and fragmented leadership have hindered the very cause of liberation. This article, grounded in biblical theology and supported by global moral voices, examines the spiritual and social consequences of disunity. Drawing on Scripture, historical wisdom, and the experience of oppressed peoples, it argues that the future of the Chin depends not on tribal dominance but on humble, Christ-centered unity. Introduction: The Crisis Within Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once warned, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools ( Martin Luther King Jr., “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revol...
Comments
Post a Comment