The Christians of Mosul: martyrdom, lament and inspiration

International (MNN)—According to Church tradition, June 29 marks the day of the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul.

It is now commemorated as Christian Martyr’s Day and recognizes and honors the sacrifice of those who died because of their faith in Christ. Not to be confused with the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church in November, Todd Nettleton, a spokesperson for The Voice of the Martyrs, USAexplains the difference. “Christian Martyr’s Day is different in the sense that we look back.

“We honor those who have already paid the ultimate price for following Christ. »

Is it a bit macabre to celebrate martyrdom? Nettleton says: “We feel the heaviness of this sacrifice, we feel the weight of it. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, though, to be in that mourning, and to be in that heaviness a little bit… but also to think about the heroism of that and to understand that those who give their lives for the cause of Christ are honored in eternity: “Well done, good and faithful servant. » In other words, this is the purpose of lament: to digest our pain so that we can rejoice.

This is the silver lining in an otherwise ugly story. This year, Christian Martyr’s Day tells the stories of several people whose names and stories may be unknown.The Christians of Mosul“Ten years ago this month, ISIS entered the city of Mosul. They announced through loudspeakers: “Christians, you have three choices: you can convert to Islam; you can flee for your life; or you may be killed. » »

Thousands of people fled and ISIS killed many of those who remained behind. Among those who survived, their audacity planted the seed that gave birth to a Vibrating Body of ChristTheir stories also pose a challenge, Nettleton adds. “They were willing to sacrifice their lives to see the Gospel advance where they were. What would I be willing to sacrifice to see the Gospel progress in my neighborhood, in my city? »

“What we want to do is be inspired”

In reality, most of us who live in free countries do not fear being killed when we tell our neighbors about Jesus. What we risk, Nettleton observes, is an awkward conversation. “Is not the risk of an awkward conversation too great for the cause of Christ and the advancement of the Gospel? »

Observing Christian Martyr’s Day is thought-provoking and raises questions such as: What does it mean? What did these people do? How do we do that? How to follow in their footsteps? Nettleton says, “I think it’s a great prayer request as we enter into the period of Christian Martyr’s Day, it’s just that we will be inspired, that we will understand the value of the Gospel and the value of kingdom, that if we are asked to make a sacrifice, it would be worth it.

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