The Christians of the East are Christians.
And if we emphasize on it in such an obvious way, it’s because there is the impression that there is a difference.
We are upset about the events in the East, in a somewhat abstract fashion, and of course when we feel that there are coming closer to us.
But the substance is elsewhere.
We have people who are innocent and are tortured, persecuted and executed.
It is not merely the issue of the monuments, but the unacceptable crime against Humanity.
Additionally, with the expression, Christian of the East, we forget the historical facts of religion.
Because, all of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, meaning, the last book of the New Testament, we could call them, Seven Churches of Asia Minor and even then, we would not see that it regards the early Christian communities.
Whereas, when we hear the names: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, we understand their substance better.
Therefore, the problem is not geographical, but historic. And if you remember the Issues of Byzantium, we will realize that the oldest of them was of the East.
Consequently, it is important because it is symbolic, and it has consequences in the way we think of the data.
It’s one thing to identify someone or something geographically, paying attention only to its space, and another historically and theologically, giving importance to Time.
So, in regards to the Holy Land, we have no need to say that they are specified by the Middle East, since our reference is Christ alone.
So while we talk about the Christians of the East, we don’t realize that this is the oldest continuity.
In other words it is regarding the history of Christianity, that is being attacked, and not for its geography.
So if we say that it actually concern us, then we must take measures even mentally.