The day commemorates the six year anniversary of communal violence against Christians in the Kandhamal District of Odisha state.
During that particular uprising, 100 Christians were killed, 56,000 were displaced from their homes, and 295 church buildings were destroyed.
This is the region of India that Good Shepherd teams regularly visit.
Why am I telling you this now?
Because in September our church has the privilege of hosting one of the leading pastors from Kandhamal District. I have spent time with him every year during my India trips and I guarantee you will be blessed by his candor and his courage.
And I think he might be blessed by Good Shepherd’s focus on inviting all people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ.