Our prayers in church are as important to our own development as Christians as they are to those for whom we pray. In church, together and momentarily, we recall some of the greater issues that afflict our world in collective prayer, selecting regions of conflict or disaster and asking for God’s grace to work through those involved either to give aid and comfort or to seek that persecutors desist or repent of their acts. In this we have a particular duty to remember fellow Christians who are in fear or afflicted yet, though these general prayers are essential, there is perhaps lack in our focus that would direct our prayers to people we can relate to as individuals.
In this Open Doors could help us. It is an international organisation founded by a Dutchman who fought and killed Indonesians in hope of regaining the colony post WW2. He was badly injured and, with time to reflect on his motives and actions, repented of his former self and dedicated his life to God’s service. He started humbly by risking his freedom – and perhaps life – by smuggling bibles in the 50s and early 60s behind the iron curtain to the persecuted and bereft Russian church and into Soviet occupied Europe. Translated into local languages he personally delivered in his VW beetle car over 20,000 and, gaining friends as time passed, delivered nearly 200,000.
In the course of his work he rubbed shoulders with pastors and laity who lived in fear, met in secret, prayed with them for fellow Christians in prison, gulags or had been eliminated’, and took onboard the Christian teaching Remember them that are in bonds, as though bound by them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in that body’ {Hebrews 13:3]. His first book, God’s smuggler so inspired readers that it sold over ten million copies in English and set its author, know only as Brother Andrew, at the centre of an expanding international worldwide ministry. But he could no longer go to Russia.
Next, for 35 years he turned his attention to Israel and the Middle East. Starting in Jerusalem, he visited and lived in Gaza City and the West Bank, stayed twice in Lebanon during the civil war, sought out and met the leaders of Israel, the Christian churches, Hamas and Hizbollah. His mission was to help the spiritually and politically devastated communities on all sides by demonstrating that only by a policy of Christian forgiveness and compassion could there be a solution to a problem that now bedevils much of the Middle East. What he saw there of radicalised Islam and the widespread persecution of Christians must trouble us all. He tells of it and his hopes for the region in his second book Light Force, published in 2003.
Open Doors – the mission he founded – has today three strands. It sets out to strengthen persecuted Christian congregations to stand strong in their faith by visiting and praying with them; to spread the Word of Christ by training of Pastors [worldwide 22,000 were trained in2003] and by the delivery of Bibles and Christian literature [over 3 million in local languages in 2003 – over 1 million to China – many especially in Muslim countries, smuggled at personal risk]; and to visit and pray with individuals imprisoned for their teaching of Jesus Christ.
It is prayers for these individuals that might well be included in our services. Some are identified on the Chains for the Gospel’ map at the rear of the church. As two examples Dr Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun were imprisoned 16 months ago in Indonesia, accused of trying to convert Muslim children who had willingly attended their Christian education programme. They have yet to come to court. Rebekka’s adopted daughter travels 70 miles by motorcycle to bring them food. But visitors found them strong in the Lord, even more so than when put into prison. Another in Eritrea, Samuel, is confined in a metal shipping container or, at times, alone in a small unlit underground cell. His fiancee, Weini, says that his skin is nearly transparent, his dark hair orange, his teeth loose and falling out. Samuel’s only request is Please don’t pray that I’ll be released. Pray only that I will not deny Jesus’.
Each month Open Doors brings out a pamphlet called Frontline to identify its work across the world, together with a prayer pamphlet that identifies, inter alia, where and by whom church congregations are beaten up and churches suppressed. From this maybe our Church magazine might carry one or two brief stories for our prayers. Or, to gain a greater picture, individuals may prefer to contact the UK headquarters: Open Doors UK, PO Box 6, Witney, Oxon OX29 6WG; www.opendoorsuk.org Anthony Hutton
The Persecuted Church
Anthony Hutton