Death and rebirth in Pakistan

The day the Helping Others Pray and Encourage (HOPE) team came to the darkened room, it was a day after room had been destroyed. It was in a sub-basement, and it had been a place of worship for over 300 Christians in Pakistan.

But one day in August, this room—along with countless other churches and homes—were destroyed and demolished. That’s because this room is in one of the communities in or near Jaranwala, Pakistan, where a violent mob attacked Christian homes and places of worship.

The HOPE team, an Open Doors partner, was there thanks to your ongoing support. As the team looked around the ruins, they saw the pieces of air conditioners that were hanging on the wall the day before, now just twisted pieces of metal mixed with a pool of solidified molten plastic. The burned metal wires were left exposed on concrete pillars; the building was unsafe and could easily collapse.

What once were chairs were now just mangled metal. And perhaps the most alarming sight was the pile of Bibles in the center of the church. They were still smoldering from the bonfire that the mobs had started to burn these copies of God’s Words.

But the HOPE team was particularly drawn to a shocking sight: a charred cross, 11 feet high and 6 feet wide. It dominated the altar space. And it was still there, in its metal holders. Miraculously, it was left damaged but whole—a reminder that God’s people, the Body of Christ, had claimed this place as holy ground.

The HOPE team prayed. One of the leaders promised to the Christians gathered there to help them rebuild their church. “We will start with the cross,” he said.

Less than a week later, the HOPE team returned to the church, with a new cross, exactly the same dimensions as the charred one.

When the team walked into the church, everyone stopped working. Several of the congregation who was gathered outside followed the team into the church hall. The HOPE team took off their shoes and stood on the altar. The pastor came in and helped remove the charred cross. It was gently laid in a white cloth and slowly wrapped with care.

The renovation work had begun.

Many of the people standing there began to cry.

The HOPE team spoke and counseled the group. They recalled weddings and happy memories of Christmas and Easter services with carols and joyful shouts of “He Is Risen indeed.” So much had been witnessed at the foot of this cross. It was hard not to see that the gathered believers were losing a part of their history—a part of themselves.

The pastor himself was very sad and prayed a prayer for the new cross and a prayer of thanksgiving for the HOPE team who brought them this precious gift. The cross was dedicated; new clasps were installed. Now, new memories can be made under a new cross. Jesus is alive and able to withstand anything—He has promised that His Church will always endure and that He will be with us, and perhaps the installation of this new cross was just a glimpse of that reality. This community of Pakistani Christians will continue to follow Jesus, knowing that the power of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection will always persevere.

Thanks to your support, the HOPE (Helping Others Pray and Encourage) Community—an Open Doors partner on the ground—has been equipped to help with both immediate and long-term needs in the affected communities. Please continue to hold these precious and vulnerable brothers and sisters in your prayers and urgently mobilize your church to pray for their safety, protection—and for peace. You can continue to support HOPE’s ongoing efforts in these areas of ministry on the ground.