Some very good friends of mine have been serving in Sri Lanka for the last three years. Yesterday, I received their most recent update. It describes an anti-conversion law that has been proposed to Parliament by a political party headed by Buddhist monks. It has been vetoed previously but has recently gained stronger support and is expected to pass in February. Here is an excerpt from their update:
An anti-conversion law that has previously been voted down on two occasions is coming up again before Parliament in early February…[This law] is meant to wipe out evangelism and house churches, and will carry a penalty ranging from $5,000 USD or 5 years in prison…Knowing the prayer network we have, national pastors have specifically asked us to ask you to get involved…Pray for those in Parliament to act justly based on the country’s constitution. Pray for believers—no matter what happens with this law—pray that they would not fear and that they would unashamedly live for Christ and continue to boldly profess Truth when God provides the opportunity.
Prayer is a given here. But there’s something else I’d like to encourage you to do as well. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find the contact information for the Sri Lankan embassy in D.C. Take five minutes and write an email or letter asking Ambassador Wickramasuriya to do everything in his power to keep this bill from passing. I sent him an email right before I starting writing this post.
As I’ve thought about this situation, I keep reminding myself of Dr. Wellum’s encouraging word on Sunday – there is no state or government or leader that can provide us the hope that our hearts long for; only Christ can. May we hope in Him alone, and may we be ambassadors of His hope – in prayer and in deed – to the ends of the earth.
His Excellency Jaliya Wickramasuriya
Ambassador of Sri Lanka
2148 Wyoming Avenue NW
Washington DC 20008
Tel: (202)-483-4025
Fax: (202)-232-7181
Email: slembassy@slembassyusa.org or consular@slembassyusa.org
~ag for the Mission’s Team