Outnumbered and Surrounded by Enemies

I receive a free monthly magazine from The Voice of the Martyrs. An organization that works with Christians persecuted for their faith, around the world. In an ironic twist, it seems more often than not, that these persecuted Christians are doing more to share the love of Jesus with non-believers, than those of us who live in free countries.

The following is taken from an article from a recent edition of the magazine. (It should be noted that in Egypt it is illegal to convert to Christianity).

One Egyptian Christian approached two imams of a large mosque. He told them “I want to know about the truth and talk about Islam. The imams were delighted and told him to come to the mosque the following day at one o’clock.

The next day when the Christian walked in, he was surprised to see the two leaders sitting there with 10 of their students, or disciples. The Christian prayed, “Oh God, help me find a way to talk to them.” He was outnumbered and surrounded by enemies. Sitting down on the carpet with the group, he addressed the imam with the traditional term “beloved.” The imam stopped him. “You cannot call me that!” said the irritated leader, “I cannot love you as a friend.” The Christian opened his Bible to Matthew 5: “But my holy book, the Bible, commands me to love you. Jesus said we should love our enemies.

The imam’s disciples were watching this discourse with great interest. One of them turned and asked their leader, “Why can’t we be a friend to him?” Another asked, “Why does God say we must hate him, but his God tells him to love us?” The imam stood up, furious, and tried to speak, but his anger, or the hand of God, caused his voice to choke up. He put his hand on his own throat, his face turning red, then whirled around and left the room. The Muslim disciples moved closer on the rug, clustering around the Christian. They asked questions for the rest of the afternoon. They wanted to know more about this power to love your enemies. Some still meet with this bold brother.

To get your own subscription visit The Voice of the Martyrs website.