This Thanksgiving, Be a Blessing to the Persecuted Church
Blessings abound in the U.S. of A. We can so quickly get bogged down in our own political and economic struggles that we lose perspective. We have so much. There’s really no way around that. We have more food, more shelter, more comforts – and more liberty.
This Thanksgiving, I am reflecting on God’s grace to me by reaching out to a Christian brother who does not enjoy the freedoms we do. His name is Sayed Mossa, and he is a husband and father of six. He’s currently imprisoned in Afghanistan for converting to Christianity from Islam. In his own words, he is in jail “due to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, saviour of the world.” Since he was arrested and put in jail earlier this past May, he has been beaten, spat upon, made to go hungry, kept from sleep, sexually assaulted, and more.
According to Justin Taylor, we can help Sayed by writing him letters. These letter can raise awareness of his plight and mount pressure for his release. However, we need to be careful in what we write. Letters should be short and should have no explicit reference to Christianity or Jesus. Instead, we should address his situation as an issue of human rights.
Here’s the text of the letter I am mailing to Sayed:
Dear Sayed Mossa,
I am so sorry to hear of your mistreatment and unjust imprisonment. Your story is being told around the world. Many people care about you and hope to see you freed and able to return to your family, including me.
You are in my thoughts,
Jake Porter
Letters can be mailed to:
Mr. Sayed Mossa
c/o International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Charrahi Haji Yaquob
Shar i Naw
Kabul,
AFGHANISTAN
I hope you will join me in writing to Sayed, not only to raise awareness of his situation but also to provide him some encouragement. As you write, please pray for him, as well. Pray for his health and safety, for perseverance of faith, for his wife and children, and for those government officials who need to step out and boldly call for his release.
We are commanded to act on behalf of our persecuted brothers and sisters: “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3). Let’s prove our faith by obedience.
