Pastoral murders and the faithfulness of God

Earlier this summer, three Christian clergymen were killed in an ambush in Manipur, India. They were returning from a Baptist convention focused on reconciliation and peace-building among tribes in Manipur. Several others were seriously wounded. According to reports so far, the motivations of the assailants are still unknown. This ambush triggered retaliatory abductions involving the Kuki and Naga communities.

These casualties have names: the Rev. Dr. Vumthang Sitlhou, the Rev. Kaigoulun Lhouvum, and Pastor Paogoulen Sitlhou. And as we reflect upon the murder of fellow brethren in Christ, we also wince at the bitter irony of their returning from a conference focused on peacefully addressing tribal conflicts, only to become victims of violence themselves and to have tribal conflict erupt in the wake of their deaths.

Was the mission of the three ministers in vain? Doesn’t this event show us that history is just some kind of cruel joke? Is the prayer “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” just wishful thinking? What’s God up to, anyway? Christians so often strive for peace and righteousness, only to fall as helpless victims of violence and wickedness.

On the earthly side of things, this is a clarion call for legal authorities in India to protect their own citizens. When government leaders fail to protect security, justice, and peace for their people, everyone loses. And people—men in particular—must eschew the path of senseless violence and endless revenge. The civil magistrate must bear the sword to punish evildoers, and citizens must see the wisdom of living a peaceable, productive life. Surprise attacks on vehicle convoys must come to an end. And whatever tribal hatreds are fueling such flare-ups must be doused. The gospel’s message of forgiveness—including of one’s own enemies—is of paramount relevance to this crisis.

And this gets to another set of concerns: How do we see this from the perspective of the Kingdom of Heaven?

For one thing, if our brothers in India were faithful in their work, who are we to shirk on faithfulness? Summer is oftentimes a season of denominational meetings and conventions. And there are times when fatal compromise, wincing, and evasion are displayed in public. Countless other examples of cowardice abound in local congregations and in private contexts. So often, we just don’t want conflict, so we enable or protect the evildoer, we drift from our mission, we indulge foolishness, and we compromise biblical morals and doctrines. All this looks even worse when compared to brothers overseas. Who are we to do this, when brethren overseas are pursuing their vocations under fire?

For another thing, the Bible doesn’t shy away from the fact that Christians will face suffering and even martyrdom. While we still don’t know the motivations of the killers in India, we do know that the three pastors died with their proverbial boots on. They were doing worthwhile (even life-saving) ministry. God so often uses the travails and seeming defeats of His saints to achieve the unlikeliest of victories.

After all, the greatest victory of all was wrought on a cross. In the book of Revelation, St. John recounted the actual reality—what’s the real “score” in terms of God’s Kingdom in its campaign of rescue. Simply put, the saints rest in triumph, and the souls of the martyrs cry out to God for His justice and vengeance. He will grant their request in due time. As the heavenly liturgy unfolds, John reports that God brings fiery judgment upon the wicked, gracious deliverance for the faithful, and a final ending of Christ’s glorious victory. The setbacks, though very real and painful, aren’t the whole story. God will not leave such evils unaddressed. The end of the story is very clear. By Christ’s victory, evil loses; good wins.

Importantly, this is why Christians must exempt themselves from the destructive cycle of feuding. God will bring His vengeance, especially at the last judgment. We must entrust the full outpouring of justice to Him, especially if and when earthly authorities fail. And who can tell if and when a sinner may repent, having his sins cleansed by Christ’s shed blood? We must look to the Lord for rescue from evil without and within. As Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”

Every time we entrust ourselves to God in this way, heaven gains ground. God’s reign more firmly establishes itself while the bonds of sin weaken.

And this, of course, gets to the most important truth: The path of faithfulness is the path to victory. It is marked by good works of justice and peace. And, in a world of so much carnage and so much evil, righteousness will win out in the end.