We live in a culture brimming with labels and one of the more recent ones to be utilized is the term “snowflake.”  According to Wikipedia, “the Snowflake Generation is a term used to characterize people who became adults in the 2010s and are more prone to taking offense and are less resilient than previous generations.  As a result Snowflakes tend to be too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own.”

  Consider the following quote from an article that appeared recently on the Fox News website.

“Citizens have 911. Employees have the EEOC. Distressed

  sailors have the Coast Guard.

But what do America’s college students have? Where can they turn when they find themselves outside campus “safe spaces” and suffering a “microaggression”?  Fortunately, the University of Arizona has an answer. It recently distributed a 20-page booklet suggesting to faculty that when a student is victimized by a microaggression the appropriate response should be saying “ouch.” And the correct response for the offender should be saying “oops,” according to the guide.

“If a student feels hurt or offended by another student’s comment, the hurt student can say ‘ouch.’ In acknowledgement, the student who made the hurtful comment says “oops.” If necessary, there can be further dialogue about this exchange.”

“The guide was authored by Jesus Treviño, vice provost of the big taxpayer-funded university, whose salary reportedly is $214,000 per year.”

  “For those unfamiliar with the apparently epidemic scale of microaggression and thus not able to spot such offenses, the booklet offers a definition: Microaggressions are “the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.”

  “Ouch” and “Oops.”  How easily offended we are these days.  I fear we have lost our way.  Our culture is so self-absorbed that we have lost sight of what constitutes real evil and adversity.”

  Since the first century 70 million Christians have been martyred.  According to a recent study Christians continue to be the most persecuted group across the globe.  A report from the Center for Studies on New Religions says that over 90,000 Christians were killed for their beliefs worldwide last year alone.  Furthermore, at least 600 million Christians were prevented or hindered from freely practicing their religious beliefs.

  The sad thing is this persecution against Christians receives little attention in the national press.  Many Americans today seem to be obsessed with “hurt feelings,” with “ouch” and “oops,” but are sadly indifferent to the endless atrocities committed against Christians across the world.

  Let us never forget our brothers and sisters in Christ who know first hand what it means to be truly persecuted.  Hebrews 13:3 (NASB95) says, “Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.”

  Let us pray for the millions of persecuted believers across our world.  Let us sound the alarm over their discrimination and oppression.  Let us make certain they are not forgotten.  And let us do all we can to relieve their suffering.

  Brother Shep