How Christians in Hard Places Spent Christmas

ISRAEL gave special permission for the head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, to visit GAZA for a pre-Christmas Mass at the Church of the Holy Family, where Christians have been harboring in the midst of this war not their own. As Israeli drones sounded overhead, he encouraged believers to not lose hope, that it is still possible for walls built by hatred and injustice to come down.

Then he joined hundreds of worshippers, both Palestinians and foreigners, for Midnight Mass at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem in the WEST BANK, a quiet, more somber event for the second Christmas in a row, without the customary decorations or jubilant cheering.

In Sadnaya, SYRIA, where tens of thousands of prisoners were tortured and killed under the ruthless Assad regime, Christians rejoiced with new hope as they lit the Christmas tree at an ancient monastery, celebrating the first Christmas now that Assad is gone. But in Suqaylabiyah, near the city of Hama, masked men set fire to a large Christmas tree in the majority-Christian town, prompting protests in Damascus by hundreds of Christians seeking freedom to worship and protection from Muslim extremists. A representative from the rebel forces that overthrew Assad promptly assured priests they would restore the tree and punish those who vandalized it.

In Sindh province, PAKISTAN, a Catholic family rejoiced to spend Christmas with their abducted daughter, 15-year-old Muskan Salman, who miraculously escaped her Muslim captor, Arsalan Ali. Meanwhile, in Punjab province, a 17-year-old Christian boy, Akash Karamat, and a Christian mother of two, Shazia Younis, spent Christmas in jail, on false charges of blasphemy.

At a candlelight service at City Church, in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, just a week after students and a teacher died in a Christian school mass shooting, Pastor Tom Flaherty urged believers to look to God’s love and forgiveness to find joy.

As we pray for Christians in each of these difficult situations and others, the Lord reminded me of this journal entry from His heart to all of ours at Christmas a couple of years ago:

The Kingdom that Stands

Lord, please be a Shield around each of these Christians and others throughout the world facing difficult situations and mourning the deaths of those they love. Thank You for faith and Your message of hope to those in Gaza, Palestine, Syria and Wisconsin. And thank You for this miracle of Muskan’s escape. Please aid her family and give their lawyer wisdom as they go through legal channels to keep her safe from the man who kidnapped and forcibly married her. Bring Arsalan Ali to justice or salvation in You, and release her from his reach. Please also acquit and release from prison Shazia and Akash. Meet their persecutors and Muskan’s, as well, in their dreams and show them the way to salvation. Remove the veil from their eyes so they can clearly see who You are and give them a hunger for Your love and the peace that comes only through You. In all these places, Lord, and other countries throughout the world where Christians are persecuted, please strengthen our faith and use us as a light in the darkness to bring many lost souls to You. Thank You because no matter how our enemy roars, You are louder, greater, and always in control. Increase our faith. Release us from our fears. Renew our minds with Yours. Teach us to rest in Your sovereignty and to share the good news of Your love and salvation with everyone around us. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.

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