People in America are upset because Starbucks seems to have wiped Christmas away by not decorating their holiday cup with ornaments. This seems to be the talk of the town, yet no one is raising the voice to express concern over a country that is about to wipe Christianity out from within their boundaries.
Fox News had a headline this week that alluded to Christianity being gone in the middle east within the next decade. Could that be possible? Could there really be an area of the world that will lose all influencers for Christ?
It is reported that there are only 250,000 people left in Iraq who claim some sect of Christianity. A dozen Christian families are leaving Iraq every day in a simple act of preserving their life. With the influence of ISIS, the acts of genocide, and the overt persecution of Christians, it is hard to blame them for fleeing.
Even the Apostle Paul avoided going to certain places (or was advised not to) for the sake of keeping his life. There is nothing wrong with avoiding persecution; we are simply told to expect it and stand strong underneath it.
But what happens when a country that desperately needs Christ finds that Christianity is now extinct? How will they hear the hope of Jesus Christ?
This is where efforts like 21st Century Wilberforce come in. This missions organization exists “to stir citizens of all beliefs to action that works to protect and restore religious freedom around the world.” They have alliances, ambassadors, and agencies that are striving to influence world powers to allow for religious freedoms. That sounds like an insurmountable task, but hey, we do crazy things to save animals that are going extinct, shouldn’t we do something to try and save Christianity from being something only read about in history books?
The City of Mosul is a prime example of an ancient biblical city who once had the hope of God now banning the very truth that once saved it. Mosul is part of Ancient Ninevah. This was the city that turned when Jonah finally got his act together and went to preach a seven-word message of judgment from God. Because they turned, God saved them (though Jonah was not happy about it). This specific geographical location today was probably Nimrod in the Bible (Gen. 10:11). Now it hates the Bible and is once again turning against the very God that already gave them a second chance.
As reported by Fox News, this will be the first time in 2000 years that Mosul won’t hear anything Christmas bells. The Christians have had to feel for their lives.
So this week, when you hear someone talk about the Starbuck Red Cup Controversy, why not say, “We may be missing ornaments on our cup, but some countries won’t even have Christ for Christmas this year.” That is the real tragedy.
It is time the global church of Christ bans together and lock arms. If we are not praying for those who are persecuted and persevering, we are not being the church.
The dark is getting darker, so the light must get brighter.
