Doing our Christian duty

By: Steve Huston

Wherever we find persecution against Christians, we witness, in essence, civil war. First, there is the fighting of brother against brother – often literally and at least nationally speaking. And then, in a more literal sense of “civil” war, it is a battle against civility – a loss of civil conversation and civil actions toward those with whom one disagrees. In this latter sense, we have been witnessing the beginnings of a war against civility on a political level in our own country, of which neither side can be exempted from blame. For the Christian, who is supposed to exude the love of Christ, this should not be named once among us. Christians have a duty to trust in the Lord, to live out our faith in holiness, and to share the gospel message far and wide. The sharing of the gospel fulfills the two great commands upon which all the law and the prophets hang: Love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself. We have a duty to do good for all men, especially those who are of the household of faith. We have a duty to love our enemies and uphold our brothers and sisters in Christ with prayer and encouragement.

Christian persecution is strong around the world; Islamic and Communist ideologies are so incompatible with the Word of God and Christ’s teachings that a strong hatred is perpetrated against those who believe and practice them faithfully. These evil ideologies run contrary to the documents that define our own nation, yet they are being accepted, embraced, and in some areas exalted. This could mean that one day persecution may be our burden to bear, to endure with joy, and to continue praying for one another, as well as for our persecutors, sharing the gospel with them.

Even then, the love of God constrains us to live holy and faithful lives. For our currently persecuted brothers and sisters around the world, this act of love for Christ and their fellow man brings upon them the very persecution of which I write. When asking others to pray for them, they do not ask for the persecution to stop; they want prayers for them to stay faithful, being a good witness of Jesus, their Saviour. Their desire is for others to be saved by their life witness.

Perhaps you’re wondering, “Where is it most dangerous to be a Christian?” Here’s a short list compiled by Global Christian Relief: Nigeria is the country where the most Christians are killed; China has the most arrests; Mexico tops the list regarding abductions and assaults. Rwanda has the most building attacks, and Mozambique the most displacements. Open Doors World Watch List reports: “The number of Christians exposed to persecution and at risk of suffering violence worldwide rose by 8 million people compared to last year – reaching a record 388 million.”

Yet the mainstream media (MSM) are largely silent regarding the plight of our fellow believers, and when it is reported, the fact that the motivation is a clash of religious ideologies is often ignored. For example, the following headlines are just a small sampling of Nigerian news ONLY SINCE JANUARY:

Muslims murder Christian pastor and four others, burn down village in jihad raid; Muslims kidnap 177 Christians from churches during Sunday services; Muslims murder 13 Christians in Benue state; four were sleeping, five were working on their farms; Muslims carry out nighttime jihad raids on Christian villages, murdering ten people; Muslims launch third jihad attack in less than a week in one area, murdering at least 14 people.

These are not MSM stories, but if they were, sadly the “violence that bore the clear marks of religious targeting (would be) persistently flattened into the language of farmers-herders clashes, a phrase that drained the blood from reality and replaced it with absurdity and abstraction.” (Abdul Mahud, writing for People’s Gazette Nigeria)

Again, this is only a very small sampling of what has happened in Nigeria since January 1, 2026. Many more lives have been sent into the eternal arms of their Saviour, both from Nigeria as well as so many other countries not even named in this article. It’s hard to believe the atrocities they face. As fellow believers, we’re also part of the Body of Christ. Might we show our love for them by praying for them with compassion and empathy.

Whether we are praying for others or we find one day that we ourselves have become the persecuted, let us faithfully live out the words of Stonewall Jackson: “Do your duty and leave the rest to Providence.”

 

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