The Light of Grace

For most of those in the West, these are names of places associated with violence, terrorism, Arab Spring protests, lawlessness, international threats, and war. Whether our understanding is accurate and whether the news we get about these situations is fair, balanced, and true is up for debate.

What we remember are images and headlines... images of angry protests and dead bodies as well as headlines about violence, war, possible atrocities, unrest, and tyrannical leaders.

While these countries deal with different issues in vastly different locations, some far from the others, two of them have been on my heart in a special way lately. We have translators for our Verse of the Day ministry in two of them. I will not tell you their countries, names, or cities for obvious reasons. We have asked folks we know to pray for them — for their safety and their ministry to their own people — as they try to share the love of Jesus in places where sharing the good news of God's grace is dangerous.

But I will share with you the words of one of these translators:

"Please pray for the terrorists that they know Jesus Christ like Saul who became Paul :)"

When I received this email, my eyes teared up and my heart was broken with conviction. Conviction that struck deep about how shallow so much of our faith in the West is.

We sit and argue about preachers, temperature in the sanctuary, the songs we sing, the noisy kids who don't behave like they used to, and a host of other inconveniences.

We worry about our safety when we travel and have largely ignored the persecution and martyrdom of fellow believers across the world.

We rightfully hold holy the memory of the shocking day of an awful attack on "our soil" while we forget millions of our brothers and sisters live with such violence daily.

We see no solution to the world's problems outside of military might and technological advantages.

And here, from a country in the middle of the messy violence of our modern world comes a simple, yet profound, prayer request:

"Please pray for the terrorists that they know Jesus Christ like Saul who became Paul :)"

What if we started praying this simple prayer every day given to us by one whose very practice of faith could cost her life?

What if we started praying this simple prayer every day instead of praying for our own safety?

What if we started praying this simple prayer every day because it brought about the great surprise to the persecuted early church and turned their greatest enemy into Jesus' greatest advocate?

What if we started praying this simple prayer every day because it is what Jesus would have us pray and believe could happen to shine his light into hearts trapped in darkness, violence, hatred, bloodshed, and oppression?

"Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (The Words of Jesus in Matthew 5:9-15 NIV).

So I will share the request one more time:

"Please pray for the terrorists that they know Jesus Christ like Saul who became Paul :)"

Let's pray...