The suicide bombers came to the churches on March 15 during morning services. Connected to the Pakistani Taliban, they attacked St. John’s Catholic Church and Christ Church, located in a Christian neighborhood of Lahore called Youhanabad. They left 19 people dead and another 80 wounded. These are the basic facts, the who, what, when, and where, that I reported in a press release days before I departed on my trip to Pakistan.
When I arrived in Youhanabad, I discovered the basic facts were insufficient to truly tell the story of the Christian community in Youhanabad following the church bombings. Extreme fear, intense anger and devastating grief were ever-present emotions for many of the Christians I met in Youhanabad, yet there were still glimmers of hope mixed with pride in each person’s testimony. These glimmers of hope and pride were something I didn’t fully understand or fully appreciate until I had time to reflect upon my time in Youhanabad...
When I arrived in Youhanabad, I discovered the basic facts were insufficient to truly tell the story of the Christian community in Youhanabad following the church bombings. Extreme fear, intense anger and devastating grief were ever-present emotions for many of the Christians I met in Youhanabad, yet there were still glimmers of hope mixed with pride in each person’s testimony. These glimmers of hope and pride were something I didn’t fully understand or fully appreciate until I had time to reflect upon my time in Youhanabad...
RSS Feed