I Am a Christian
“I am a Christian,”said Abu. As before, a long round of verbal volleys ensued. Each time, the ISIS guard asked Abu to convert; and, each time, Abu politely, but, firmly, said that he was a Christian and would not. Finally, another guard – a supervisor – came from the booth and fired questions at Abu. Abu thought that this man was different from the rest – almost like an actor playing a part – but deep down, he was not that character himself.
Begone, Fast
“So, you have left behind a home and would be willing to pay the tax? “the supervisor asked; and, Abu nodded in the affirmative. Yes, the previous checkpoint had taken substantial money that could be used for the tax; and, yes, they did own a house. The supervisor then instructed the interrogating guard to make a call. After the guard left, the supervisor turned to Abu. “Begone,” he said, “Fast.” Abu felt like a fish that had been hooked and fighting for its life when suddenly the fisherman cut the line. He nodded his thanks and returned to the car.
A City of Displaced Believers
Upon reaching Erbil, they saw that the city was already overpopulated with Syrian war refugees. Because of the ISIS purge in Iraq, the city was expanding even more each day. What did most of these refugees have in common? They were Christians whose lives had been pulled out from underneath them. Students who had been ready to graduate from the University of Mosul now had no records to show that they had even been enrolled; young people engaged to be married now didn’t even know where their fiancées were; adults who had jobs now were jobless. They sacrificed it all – they left behind their homes, the lives they had lived, and their hopes for the future, choosing instead to trust in God and serve him wherever he would lead.
To Be Continued…
Date: 23rd November 2024
Martyr: Abu Fadi
Location: Iraq
Source: Tortured for Christ (The voice of the martyr)
Author: Richard Wurmbrand
Suffering Saturday 118
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