Dear Friend of the Persecuted Church—

            As the presidential primaries are kicked off across the nation, I am reminded of the saying of former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill: “All politics is local.”  You can certainly see that in the actions and words of those running for office, as they campaign for votes by doing what they can to connect their candidacy to the local people.  No matter the audience, each candidate tries to find a local issue that will resonate and earn them another vote.

            But have you ever noticed that the locality principle is true even outside of politics?  We care about the things that are close to us.  News of a murder down the street is far more frightening and saddening than news of a murder halfway across the country.  “Close to home” simply has more impact than “far away.”

            I noticed this the other day as I was catching up on news from the persecuted church after the holidays.  The news was full; persecution was alive and well as we celebrated the turning of the year.  But the story that hit me the hardest was the story of an American diplomat who was murdered by terrorists in Khartoum, Sudan.  Why?  Because I had been there just weeks before.  The fact that there was an organization in Khartoum that existed to kill foreigners hit me close to home.

            The Bible applies the locality principle to the Body of Christ.  “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”  (Romans 12:5)

            One body in Christ...

            Members one of another...

            It is hard to get more local than that.  “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”  (1 Corinthians 12:26)

            To paraphrase Tip O’Neill, all persecution is local—local to you and I, as members of the Body.  But when I pray for the persecuted church, do I pray as if their suffering directly affects me?  I should, because it does.  Their suffering is my suffering, and yours too, for we are the same Body.

            Let us pray with all of the passion that this locality should inspire.

Yours for the Body of Christ,

Gabriel J. Waddell
Executive Director

---------------------------------------

This Week in the Persecuted Church

The Power of Forgiveness

Riot-hit Christians Still Hiding in Jungles

More news and updates available at Remember Ambassadors.

Links to websites not produced by Remember are provided for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the linked site’s content.  Links provided by permission.