A friend of mine recently returned from a trip to Cyprus. He was there to minister to the refugees fleeing Syria and the surrounding areas affected by the war and the state of politics in their lands.
Amidst all the people, though he mostly served Muslims, he also found many, many Christians with stories of great persecution and torture they endured for not denying their faith in Jesus Christ. He was shaken, deeply touched and ultimately blessed by hearing this. It was a great encouragement that suffering people would not walk away from the One who gave His Life for them just because they were under great pressure.
This trip, one among many for him, will probably be burned into his memory. Being bold and being loving for the cause of Christ sometimes means sacrifice in ways we as American believers have yet to understand. But my friend has learned much now, hasn't he?
(Photograph copyright Los Angeles Times.)
No comments:
Post a Comment