Stories of third world
countries and starving villages across the globe cause confusion, anger, and
sadness in the hearts of Americans followed by the question of, “Why God?” The reality is some of those people starving,
dying, and sick have never even asked that question themselves, because a faith
in Jesus is all they can afford. In South Sudan, there are Christians being
persecuted daily. Within the walls of accusation, judgment, and hatred towards
the Christian faith lay the painful consequences of calling yourself a Christ
follower. If you want to see Biblical persecution face to face, travel to South
Sudan. But where there is persecution, there is also unity. There is a unity
that cannot be broken; a unity that fights its way through until no man is left
breathing; a unity between martyrs.
As the rain fell one night in a small Christian village
on the outskirts of South Sudan, sounds of praise overpowered the muffled
gunshots being fired continuously miles away. In war, worshiping God had the
most power. It overpowered fear. It
conquered anxiety, and it destroyed any doubt. Nothing seemed more beautiful
than witnessing hundreds of villagers lifting hands and lifting songs up to a
God that can’t be seen by anyone who lives a better life than the bone visible
tribes giving all they had in a few worship songs and scripture. At the center
of this tribe lay a unity never before seen. This group of people knew of the
death they could face for proclaiming the word of God, and not only went about
proclaiming it, but did so together. They, physically poor yet spiritually
ripe, brought up revival among their mud huts and dirt roads. As bullets fired
in neighboring tribes, their ministry intensified. When danger drew near, unity
grew stronger. Praises rang louder, and disciples multiplied. As the tribe’s
days were surely numbered, fear was non-existent.
It was an early Sunday morning when the first round of
gunshots were fired at the village guards. Muslim militia surrounded the
village waiting anxiously for riot and chaos to ensue, but stillness startled
the men. Slowly, one by one, the villagers came out of their homes. The militia
were not hesitant with them. The first ten to exit were shot dead, six of them
recently baptized the previous week. As blood replaced the brown dirt,
villagers began singing hymns and gathering together in the chapel as if it
were a normal Sunday. Although they knew death was literally minutes away, they
did not let fear take away their faith in the one who once sacrificed all He
had for them.
Guards surrounded the church and pulled every church
member out and onto the street. Holding hands, the villagers arose from the
dirt and stood strong against the face of evil. “Father, forgive them,” cried
an eleven year old boy whose tear-stained eyes began fixing up into the
heavens. His mother lay dead in front of him. At this moment, the soldiers
stood in front of them, loading their guns. “You will fear us by the end of
today. All of you, Christians! For miles, this story of victory among Muslims
will be told!” snarled the commander. “The only one we fear is the One who sent
us here to die for His sake,” said a teenage boy as he clutched his mother and
baby sister’s hand with all the strength he had left. Immediately, after the
boy proclaimed his statement, an elderly woman fell to her knees weeping. “I
have waited eighty years for this day. Today, I will get to meet the One who
has never left my side.” The pastor of the village placed a hand on her
shoulder and softly spoke, “We all will together.” The laughter of the militia
intensified as they readied their aim. “Fire!” yelled the commander.
As flames arose from the huts, angels arose from the
dirt. It wasn’t just villagers who died that day. It was a tribe. It was
Christians. What remained was the truth of what unity means. Unity isn’t those
who stay strong with creation. True and utter unity is those who stay strong with
their Creator, no matter what tragedy may come. No height, nor depth could
explain the true love a Father has for His children and His children for their
Father. To be unified in the face of death is the strongest type of unity there
is.
