Breaking the Silence: Standing with Persecuted Christians

In the Gospels, there is a repetition that initially confused me. Why would the same story be told four times? However, it was through this repetition that I fell deeply in love with Jesus. The Gospels invited me to ask questions, to write myself into His story. They required an honesty and openness that I had never experienced before.

One aspect of the Gospels that troubled me was the silence from God when Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). It seemed incomprehensible that the Father would allow His Son to be tortured and crucified. However, as I delved deeper into the Scriptures, I began to understand that this silence was necessary. Jesus had become sin for us, taking on our betrayal and crucifixion. The Father's silence may have been a reflection of His unspeakable pain at seeing His Beloved suffer.

But there is another kind of silence that I cannot accept. It is the silence of the Western Church, the silence towards the persecuted Christians around the world. For over two decades, my wife and I have been on a pilgrimage, encountering some of the most severely persecuted Christians of our time. Our journey began in Somalia, a nation torn apart by civil war. We witnessed the persecution of Somali believers and were devastated to learn that out of approximately 150 followers of Jesus, only four remained alive after eight years.

This experience raised questions in my heart. Is Jesus still trustworthy? Is He still Lord in the face of severe persecution? Or is He limited to the comfortable and privileged Western Church? To find answers, we embarked on a journey to meet believers in persecution from different parts of the world. We visited 72 countries and learned from over 600 followers of Jesus who had lived or were currently living in contexts of persecution.

These modern-day giants of the Christian faith taught us how to follow Jesus and make Him known in environments of persecution. They showed us not only how to survive but how to thrive in seasons of extreme suffering. Their stories of resilience and faith displayed the unquenchable power of the resurrection. They faced imprisonment, beatings, and martyrdom, yet they remained steadfast in their faith.

The reality of persecution is something that many Christians in the West find hard to comprehend. We are often shielded from the harsh realities faced by our brothers and sisters around the world. In fact, more than 90% of Christians in the West will never share the good news of Jesus with another person. We have become so comfortable in our faith that we forget about those who suffer for their belief in Christ. Rarely do sermons or seminary courses address the suffering church, leaving many ill-prepared to face persecution.

Our silence towards the persecuted church only increases their suffering. It breaks God's heart and demonstrates our lack of care for our eternal family members. We need to remember that there is no distinction between a persecuted church and a free church. There is only one church, and we are all part of it. Hebrews 13:3 reminds us to remember those who are in prison and mistreated, as if we ourselves were suffering.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to stand in solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters. We cannot remain silent while they endure unimaginable suffering. We must speak up, share their stories, and pray for them fervently. The time for silence is over. We need to be the church, one church that is both free and persecuted.

No nation or form of government lasts forever. When persecution comes knocking on our doorstep, will we be content to have others pray for us as we currently pray for our suffering brothers and sisters? It is time to tell the truth, to remember, and to recite the stories. It is time to speak of God, to share the gospel, and to sing His promises. It is time to pray and cry out to God on behalf of our persecuted family members. This is the moment that belongs to us, the time to speak up for the persecuted church.

In conclusion, the silence of the Western Church towards the persecuted Christians around the world is unacceptable. We must remember that we are part of one church, both free and persecuted. It is our responsibility to stand in solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters, to speak up on their behalf, and to pray for them fervently. Let us not be silent when our family members face persecution, but let us be a voice for the voiceless and a source of hope and encouragement. The time to speak is now.