The Death of our Sisters and Brothers
A Lament to the Prince of Peace
On the same night that Israel attacked Iran, Friday 13 June, (Islamic) militants in Nigeria massacred up to 200 Christians in Benue State. IT IS THE LARGEST SLAUGHTER IN A SINGLE DAY IN AN AFRICAN COUNTRY.
Christians dying because they are Christians. They are, literally, martyrs. The death of Christ-followers is widespread, more than we realise.
What about believers in Iran?
The 'quiet revival', as it's been called, is not only happening in Britain, but extensively in Iran. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians - some say over a million - have reportedly been coming to faith in Messiah Jesus, many in 'underground' churches.
What about Israel's bombs and missiles reigning down on Iran? Will Christ-followers be killed? And how many messianic believers in Israel will die with retaliatory Iranian missiles? And now with Trump's unilateral declaration of war, breaking negotiations, attacking Iran without congressional approval, bringing the Middle East conflict to an international conflagration, a possible WWIII.
The world is on the edge of the precipice. What will happen?
Christ-followers have suffered deeply in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Israel, Sudan, Nigeria, and many other nations, due to direct persecution and wars by ego-driven power-hungry leaders.
Vatican news has reported on the Nigerian massacre (read the article). Pope Leo said, "I am praying for those brutally killed” in “a terrible massacre”, most of them IDPs “sheltered by the local Catholic mission”. Leo said he was praying for “security, justice and peace” in Nigeria, adding that in his thoughts especially were the “rural Christian communities of the Benue State who have been relentless victims of violence”.
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church", said Church Father Tertullian, in his Apologeticus (197 ACE). The body of Christ is literally suffering and dying with and for the poor people who suffer and die due to injustice, power, hatred, evil. But history has shown that wherever Christians are persecuted and die in numbers, the church quietly grows in resurrection power. The paschal mystery.
I lament for the surviving families of our slaughtered Nigerian brothers and sisters.
I lament all the hatred and death and mayhem.
All the wars, all the killing fields, all the bombs.
You can bomb the world to pieces, but you cannot bomb the world to peace (phrase from Brian Zahnd).
Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, who made peace in your own body, broken for our enmity, to reconcile us to God and one another.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus, The Peace Maker.
Intervene with justice and truth in all the conflicts,
For humanity, for peace, reconciliation, and healing.
Have mercy on your people.
See the blood of your martyrs.
See their sacrifice, for "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants" (Psalm 116:15).