Hundreds of crimes have been committed against Christian organizations in the first two months of this year alone in 30 plus states. Over 75% of churches state that they have no security or emergency plans in place. About 34% of those polled say their church has experienced a security incident or emergency in 2008.

Statistics are important; we need to quantify data because it helps us reason, compare, make decisions, and think things logically through.

Being informed helps you in being prepared.

However, sometimes we just become “numb” after hearing numbers over and over again.

This isn’t just with crime, violence, and Christian organizations. This is in every part of our lives.

Remember when we first went to war in Iraq and the first U.S. soldier died? For a while, the media would report every death, talk about the soldier, his or her family, or how they died. We were saddened or angered as the number grew.

What is that number now? Do you know? Have you even heard about the last soldier that died? Was it yesterday? Last week?

How about the economy? We have become numb to all the numbers that are thrown at us every day: the stock market, unemployment, stimulus dollars, home foreclosures, home sales, etc., etc. – numbing!

But I look almost every day at the crimes against Christian churches, schools, food shelters, ministries, etc. Arsons against churches are happening on a regular basis, almost 20 this year by our information in all parts of the country – Massachusetts, California, Georgia,  Illinois, Virginia, Oklahoma – the list goes on.

But these are just statistics; I know there is a story behind each of them. We need to look deeper to the victims, the church congregation and all the lives these incidents touch.

In one of those instances, a Christian church and school that was set on fire in Norfolk, Virginia; I watched a news clip of a young girl who was in tears because the first Bible she was ever given by her parents was lost in the fire.

We can calculate the cost of replacing or repairing the buildings, but how do you put a cost on that little girl’s grief and what she will never get back?

And when there is violence and loss of life…the numbers can’t possibly tell the story of devastation.

These are things we should never become numb or treat as just another statistic.

When I hear people from a church that has been the victim of an arson or burglary or vandalism say “Well, that is why we have insurance”, it always strikes a nerve because we shouldn’t lose sight of what has been lost.

I have spoken to many crime victims over the years and when someone’s house gets broken into I would always hear them say how they had a sense of being violated; that their personal, private, safe place had been violated and that sense of security has been taken away – forever.

The same happens when our church is broken into. In a sense, we feel further violated because it is attacking our Lord’s house; a place we hold as sacred, special, a place that we give our tithe to build the church up, only to be taken by a criminal act.

The numbers are important because they give a bigger picture of the problem at hand; but we can’t ever forget that behind every single number, there are victims.

We all need to be committed to reducing the incidents, thus reducing the potential victims.

In Christ,
Jeff Hawkins