BY: Dr. John David Smith
Executive Director
BMA Missions

A few years ago, a ministry leader from the Middle East was visiting the U.S. A lunch conversation turned to the topic of persecution. When one of the Americans stated that we simply could not relate to persecution for the faith, our Middle Eastern brother’s response left all the Americans in awkward silence. He said matter of factly, “I will pray with you about this.” He went on to talk about persecution as a blessing to the believers in his country that decreases apathy and purges impurities. 

Most followers of Christ in the West define normalcy in our version of Christianity with the descriptors of painless, peaceful, and prosperous. Even in more conservative thought where following Christ does not ensure wealth, it almost always assumes the absence of difficulty. In comparison with the majority of the world, believers in the West have enjoyed unprecedented safety and ease in their spiritual lives. What lessons can we learn from our brothers and sisters around the world about suffering? How does our expectation of the three Ps (see above) stand up to Scripture and current realities? Will the three-P context last in the West? Will it end abruptly or slowly fade into history itself? 

A cursory look at the World Watch List 2019, which highlights Christian suffering around the world, tells us that our three-Ps are not the norm. Some have estimated that 88% of all followers of Christ live under a constant cloud of persecution. According to the Watch List, 10% of all followers of Christ live under intense suffering for their faith; it is estimated that over 4,000 believers lost their lives in 2018, almost 3,000 were imprisoned, and an average of 11 lose their lives each day. We encourage you to read stories published by Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) Global Missions (www.bmamissions.org) and on the Voice of the Martyrs website (www.vom.org) to increase awareness of Christian suffering and to know how to better pray. 

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