And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  (NIV)
I Corinthians 13:13 

Recently a 40 year-old Pakistani man decided that his 25 year-old stepdaughter had committed an immoral act.  She hadn’t, but he thought otherwise and killed her in cold blood.  Then he killed his three young daughters.

According to the Independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, hundreds of girls and women are murdered by male relatives each year in this conservative Islamic nation.  Speaking to the Associated Press in the back of a police truck, the man showed no contrition, only dismay that he didn’t murder the stepdaughter’s alleged lover as well.  He added, “I thought my younger daughters would do what the older girl did, so they should be eliminated.”

Authorities report the murdered woman actually did nothing, except flee her brutal husband who had forced her to work in a brick-making factory.  To get even with her for running away, the husband accused her falsely of adultery.  A human rights worker said, “Women are treated here as property.”  Here we find another major difference between Islam and Christianity.  Throughout history, Christianity has elevated the status of women – and rightly so!  Human rights in general are honored by followers of Christ and the dignity of the individual is upheld.  Jesus called upon His followers to “follow peace with all men, without which no man shall see God” (2 Tim. 2:2).  That is often not the case in religions where there is blind hatred, often fomented by so-called clerics who call for their congregations to kill and destroy.  The equipment of the follower of Christ is love.  Unfortunately, equipment for some other faiths is often a sword.

Prayer:  O God, help me to ever remember that the uniform of a Christ-follower is love. May I always react to those around me, drawing from the very love of Jesus Who dwells within me.   May I never give reason for reproach upon the lovely Name of my Lord Jesus.   Amen.