On the day of prosperity be joyful, and on the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them. Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NRSV)
On 1 October 2000, a stranger walked into Sonmin Grace Church in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, Central Asia, as the offering was being collected, and put down a bag. Within a few minutes the bag exploded; the power of the blast brought down the roof of the church, smashed windows and destroyed the pews. Ten people, aged between 21 and 60, were killed by the bomb and over 50 were injured.
The church had been formed in the 1990s by Korean missionaries. It was very active in evangelism and as a result had been threatened by the authorities with losing its state registration. The authorities also dealt harshly with the survivors of the explosion; twelve church leaders were arrested and questioned, not only about the bomb, but also about why they were believers in Christ and what plans they had to evangelise others. They were released a few days later, after several had undergone beatings. Two men were eventually arrested for the bombing.
When I draw this fleeting breath,
when my eyelids close in death,
when I soar through realms unknown,
bow before the judgment throne:
hide me then, my refuge be,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me.
