A campaign encouraging Christians to wear orange on Sundays in support of the Christians executed by ISIS is gaining momentum, as #orangejumpsuit spreads the word by social media.
A social media campaign using the hashtag #orangejumpsuit and started in March by Rev. Patrick Mahoney, pastor of Church on the Hill in Washington, DC, urged Christians to wear orange and pray for persecuted Christians, reports Christianity Today .
“Every five minutes, a Christian dies for their faith around the world. That’s over 100,000 a year,” Mahoney said in an interview with Fox News .
“Americans need to realize we are seeing a genocide the likes we have not seen in a generation.”
The campaign is now sweeping the nation, and an increasing number of worshipers are wearing either orange attire or orange ribbons to services.
The orange represents the jumpsuits worn by ISIS captives. Reverend Frank Karwacki, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, is attempting to draw attention to the plight of persecuted Christians by asking his congregation to wear orange.
“We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s so sad how they are being tortured—we need to get prayer power going,” he told Fox News .
According to BizPac Review , Mahony has been encouraging not just Christians, but those of all faiths , including Muslims, to discourage the persecution.
Karwacki said that the destruction and executions committed by ISIS in the Middle East inspired him to join the campaign.
“They destroyed those ancient churches and killed so many of our Catholics there. I’m hoping that other parishes and churches” join the orange campaign.
Catholic writer Rey Flores is working to draw attention to the #orangejumpsuit campaign because he feels that it helps the persecution of Christians come to the forefront of a “steady stream of violence in media.”
“I think people are sort of numbed with so many images that we’re inundated with,” he said.
The campaign is picking up speed on social media, with users posting their support to both Facebook and Twitter.
Sharing solidarity with Christians being persecuted by terrorists, wear orange 2 show support #orangejumpsuit
— barefoot lawyer (@Tweetlawfeet) April 17, 2015
Please wear an orange ribbon in solidarity of awareness & support against Christian #persecution . #orangejumpsuit pic.twitter.com/Dk86BOCLqL
— antoine nantes ? (@antoine_nantes) April 17, 2015
The ISIS persecution and execution of Christians has resumed after a several month lapse, according to this recent Inquisitr article about a newly released video purportedly showing the mass execution of Ethiopian Christians.
Another group started by Lydia O’Leary, Ribbons for Rescue , is encouraging Christians to wear orange every day, and to call on lawmakers to provide financial assistance for Christian refugees in the Middle East.
[Image via Scripps Howard Foundation Wire ]