Persecuted Christians in today’s world

In the Western world we Christians are now free to go to church without fear of arrest and ill-treatment.  But in many countries individual Christians or families or whole Christian communities are singled out for violence.  In the Sudan, Indonesia, Northern Nigeria, Iraq and parts of India, violence can be on a large scale, virtually amounting to ‘ethnic cleansing’.  In Central Asia and in other former communist states, a definite anti-Christian attitude exists. Christians often have to meet in secret and it is not uncommon for them to experience arrest, torture and other mistreatment at the hands of security forces.  In many places violence focuses on individual Christians who may be murdered, injured or have their property destroyed. (1).

We should pray for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters and do what we can to support organisations such as the Barnabas Fund.  This charity provides valuable practical assistance e.g. helping the families of Christian martyrs, providing safe houses and legal support for prisoners.

So let us remember all these brave Christians, and let us also remember what Jesus himself has told us, “Everyone…who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven” (NRSV, Matthew 10:32,33).

Amen

So we come to the last word of the Creed, the Amen.  At the end of a prayer, Amen means, “May it be so”, “That is what I pray for”.  When we say it at the end of the Creed, it means “It is so”, and is like saying “That is what I believe”.

SUMMARY

1. The sign of the Cross is the Christian badge which reminds us of all that Jesus has done and suffered for love of us.

2. When we say the Creed in church services we say it standing up and facing east.  We must always be proud of belonging to Christ and his Church.

3. The Amen at the end of the Creed means “It is so”.

References

1. ©The Archbishops’ Council (2006) Common Worship, Holy Baptism.  Available from: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/downloads/pdf/mvinitiation336-373.pdf  (Accessed 17 August 2010) (Internet).

2. Barnabas Fund (not dated) Persecuted Christians.  Available from:
http://barnabasfund.org/UK/Our-work/Our-current-projects/BF-Project-Categories/Persecuted-Christians.html?modhome=1 (Accessed 19 November 2010) (Internet).