It
might be tempting, even fitting, to say something bland or
non-confrontationally pleasant about a turkey and some stuffing and something
vague about being thankful, since we are entering the Thanksgiving season this
week. But, a Sunday in November has been
dedicated to a prayer effort for the Persecuted Church since 1996. Being a
Christian believer is not about playing games, it’s not about trying to gain
God’s favor by following rules and regulations, it’s not a Sunday-morning-only
religious exercise. And, being challenged by Hebrews 13:3 Remember
those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and those who
are mistreated, since you also are in the body, I will take primary focus
off our needs and onto others.
Here
is what’s going on:
IRAN: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, 32 years old, married with two small boys,
was in jail for 1,000+ days, accused of apostasy against Islam. After Christians around the world, running
into the millions after joining in a Twitter campaign, were praying for him he
was suddenly released two months ago.
Elsewhere
in that same country, there have been and continues to be, waves of arrests of
Christians, and regular raids on Christian meetings, destruction and
confiscation of Bibles and church properties. An Iranian pastor, based in London, England,
relates how “one Iranian Christian
describes the house church movement ‘like a James Bond movie’ – how they are
careful about their communication, how they switch meeting places, how they
turn off their phones, how they take out their SIM cards.”
EGYPT:
The media has told us about the “Arab Spring”, but listen to what is the motto
of the Muslim Brotherhood who took power there last year: “Allah is our objective, the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our
law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope”. Whereas there was relative safety for
Christian believers, most of them Coptic Christians, prior to last year’s
revolution in Egypt, imagine what that type of a motto does to the safety of
Christians right now!
SYRIA:
another Middle Eastern country, is currently suffering through a civil war
which has so far cost 30,000 lives.
Conditions for Christians and non-Christians alike have gotten
worse. A pastor there sent an email to
the organization Open Doors USA. He
said: “I can cry like Nehemiah because
the walls of our cities are burnt and the people in great trouble and
disgrace. I can weep like Jeremiah
because of the intensity and the spread of evil. I can mourn like David because of the
indiscriminate brutal killing of innocent people, children, women, elderly,
youth.” But despite the dangers, the
churches remain determined to extend the Gospel and to offer aid as they are
able. The pastor concludes: “While we can
see and sense the evil powers spreading a dark cloud over the country, closing
the door for the light of hope, we still trust our all-sovereign God ‘who
always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ’” (2 Cor. 2:14). Notice how his images and practical theology emanate
from the Bible and its people!
NIGERIA:
particularly in the northern states, the vicious group Boko Haram (Hausa = “Western education is sin”) routinely
attack Christian churches during services and massacre dozens of worshipers at
a time. Still, unafraid, the believers
keep going to church to worship the Lord; SUDAN: Christians are still fleeing aggression
from their own government which has killed thousands; PAKISTAN: people are still awaiting the
verdict for a 14 year old Christian girl – Rimsha Masih – who was framed by a
Muslim cleric with burning a Quran; INDIA:
there continues to be relentless persecution, beatings and severe harassments
by Hindu mobs against Christians and pastors. MOROCCO: deportation of Christian workers who
were running children’s homes, or community development projects like job
creation and education, for “proselytizing”.
Asks one of them: “We’ve always
lived our lives openly; at what point does living your life become
proselytizing?”
So,
what do Christians do to “fight back”? Members
of the organization “Stephen’s Children” in Cairo’s slums in the garbage heaps
go door-to-door to identify needs, sharing Bible stories, developing reading
skills, and offer critical nutrition to the families living there. Mama Maggie, who is in charge of Stephen’s
Children says: “Greater is He who is in
you than he who is in the world… Christians
in Egypt have known hardships before… so, we are very happy that we are the
fruit of the prayers of the martyrs and their seeds. So it’s our turn to do
something until we leave.”
House-church
networks in various countries report growth, also in number of converts; they refuse
to let fear paralyze them.
Astonishingly,
the first thing these persecuted Christians ask for isn’t activism or advocacy
on their behalf; it’s prayer! Prayer for
protection against violence… prayer to remain faithful under pressure… prayer
for the ability to continue their Christian service. Prayer, not necessarily for persecution to go
away, but for faith that is unwavering (!).
Those
of us who confess Jesus Christ are part of His Body, a community of faith in
the Living Savior and Lord. This
community is world-wide, it is rooted outside time and space, yet it is present
here and now.
Add
to your daily prayer list those brothers and sisters in the faith around the
world who are being persecuted as they live out the same relationship with
Jesus that you and I do.
Sources:
WORLD Magazine, Open Doors USA, on-site and personal interviews, etc.
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