Baghdad Pastor Says Despite Persecution, Christians in Iraq Continue to Love Jesus with Great Intensity and Joy; Says the Best Evangelists Ever to Iraq Were the "Miserable"—Jonah and Apostle "Doubting" Thomas
"Jesus often comes and heals our sick people. Because of this, people of other faiths see we have a God of miracles and it is not long before they want to come to the Great Physician as well. Even in the midst of this crisis, God is still real and full of love. When people see Him, they are drawn to Him. And as we continue to serve Him, we love, pray, [and] seek to understand our context and the local church and expect miracles."
(Iraq)—The Reverend Cannon Andrew White has extensive credentials. He is president and CEO of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, Chaplain of St. Georges Church in Baghdad, Anglican/Episcopal chaplain of the International Zone Baghdad and senior advisor in Inter Religious Affairs to the Prime Minister of Iraq. He is also, as seen in this article penned by him, a great man of God.
In the article, published in Lausanne World Pulse, White details the huge risks Christians in Iraq take to live out their faith. Says White of the Iraqi Christians he serves: "These Christians are the most wonderful people I have ever served. They worship our Lord with great intensity and joy! In the midst of their darkness and fear, Jesus is their joy. When you lose everything, you realize Jesus is all you have."
Some of the facts White shares are sobering, such as his claim that over 2,000 Christians have been forced to flee their homes and are now sleeping on church floors in Baghdad. Yet, he says, they continue to love Jesus.
White asks Christians in the West to be wise in what they say and do concerning Iraq, and lists five things the Church can, and must do, to come alongside the Church in Baghdad. In short, they are: Love, Pray, Study Islam and Arabic, Seriously Support Local Christians, and Expect Miracles. I believe a sampling of examples from some of these five directives will inspire readers to follow the link provided.
Regarding "Praying," he says of the small group of intercessors who pray for him: "Although I cannot always tell them what is really happening, they often know because God tells them. There have been countless times when our intercessors have told me they have been praying about actual things that happened which I have not told them about."
Under the category "Seriously Support Local Christians," White urges Christians to educate themselves on Iraq's heritage, sharing how two "miserable" Christians (Jonah and "Doubting" Thomas) brought faith in God to Iraq. Noting that to this day Nineveh is full of Christians, he adds that "many in my church in Baghdad believe in Jesus because of these two miserable people. They were the best evangelists ever."
Finally, referring to "Miracles," White says Iraqi Christians are relying on miracles "more and more," noting that "Jesus often comes and heals our sick people. Because of this, people of other faiths see we have a God of miracles and it is not long before they want to come to the Great Physician as well. Even in the midst of this crisis, God is still real and full of love. When people see Him, they are drawn to Him. And as we continue to serve Him, we love, pray, [and] seek to understand our context and the local church and expect miracles."
