Islam, Martyrs, and Us

It's getting real.  People are really losing their lives because they take a stand for Jesus.  I know it has always been that way, dating back to the Roman Colosseum.  I have heard about modern persecution in Sudan and India.  It's really been real all along, but it seemed so theoretical to me. 

Now we see the ceremonial execution of named believers by masked jihadists.  They, the murderers, are putting it in our faces.  They are intentionally provoking us.  And by "us," I mean Christians.  Or maybe I mean Americans.  Or the West.  Or non-Muslim theists.  Or all non-Muslims.  I'm not really sure.

Should the U.S. military bomb them, shoot them, invade them? 

This battle used to be clear to me.  They want us--Americans--dead.  So we kill them in self-defense.  But after reading this article in the Atlantic Journal I have a new appreciation for the complexity of the conflict.  I say I read the article.  I did the best I could to wade through the Arabic names and get the gist of it.

These radical Islamists are turning up the heat, emboldened by victories in Iraq and Syria, and relishing the developing caliphate.  It looks like they want an all-out war.  They point to the Koran for their authority to slaughter infidels.

But persecution comes with the territory for Christians.  Ever since Stephen was stoned, only months after the Resurrection of Jesus, Christians have been persecuted.  They were persecuted centuries before Muhammad was even born.  These Muslims are just the latest in a long line of persecutors, from Romans to Nazis to atheists to Jews.

Jesus expected his followers to be persecuted.  He repeatedly warned them and told them how to handle it.  The Book of Revelation prophesies about the martyrs and their strength of faith.  Somehow I thought those days were long behind us, providing mere inspirational stories of history.

And further, I'm ashamed to confess, I pictured Coptic Christians as ritualistic, cultural, nominal believers, caught up in tradition and the form of religion.  Then I saw the men in the orange jumpsuits.  And I learned that they were singing to Jesus as they died.  Just like Paul and Silas in prison at midnight.  But unlike Paul and Silas, these men did not live to see another day. 

Or maybe they are more alive now than ever before.  They stood with Jesus and now they stand with Jesus.  He makes their suffering more than worth it.  Death has brought them life.  Their deaths can also bring us--Christians--life.  Their deaths can wake us up.  Maybe I'm waking up.

It's getting real.  Now what will we do when it gets close to home?

ISIS vs. Nazis

Militant Islamists want to take over the world, and they brutally slaughter any who stand in the way.  In the 1930s and 1940s Nazi Germany and Imperialist Japan joined ranks to take over the world.  Reluctantly, the U.S. entered WWII after Japan bombed the U.S. military base in Pearl Harbor.  The U.S. rightly stood against the powers of evil sweeping the world.

There are some similarities between ISIS and the Nazis:  brutality, totalitarianism, quest for world domination, indoctrination of young children.  Many believe that we should fight ISIS just as we fought the Nazis.

But ISIS is not exactly like Nazi Germany.  The Germans worked through their existing national government, which Hitler cleverly took charge of.  They conscripted young men to serve in the armed forces and used the power of the government to spread propaganda.  Religion was used by the Nazis only as a tool for the nationalist agenda.  Many religious voices were silenced.  The Nazi quest was a top-down approach, as Der Fuhrer worked his plan.

ISIS is different because it has no single charismatic leader.  A quick Google search of ISIS leaders pulls up no names familiar to me.  There are leaders, but there are many leaders.  The ISIS movement has no formal means of conscription.  This means that their forces are chiefly volunteers.  Which means that their soldiers are true believers.  Unlike Nazi soldiers who merely followed orders, ISIS militants put into action what they truly believe.  ISIS grows from the grassroots.  Pockets of believers may be found in any nation around the globe.  They can be called upon in a moment's notice to work along with the larger evil agenda.  The Nazis had nothing like this.

Militant Islam is much more insidious, and consequently much more dangerous.  Bombs and bullets can stop massive military movements like the current surge in Iraq.  But a more important battle is the the battle for the hearts of people.  So many believe the lie that non-Muslims must be slaughtered, in the name of Allah.  They serve their god by murdering entire villages.

It will take more than the sword to win this growing global conflict.  It will take truth.  It will take bold proclamation of the Lordship of Jesus.  It will take the power of the Spirit of God changing hearts.  It will
take the gospel.  It will take a movement of people who are sold out to the truth, reconciled to God through the cross, and ready to love in the face of hate.

What about ISIS?

The wave of  militant Islam seems to be washing over many parts of the Middle East.  In Iraq, cities are being captured and Christians slaughtered.  Pleas have gone out to Christians in the West to pray and support the persecuted church.

The Arabic letter nun

To call attention to the crisis, many Christ followers on social media have changed their profile pictures to the Arabic letter nun.  According to Wikipedia, militant Islamists spray paint this letter on the houses of Christians who have fled the massacre.

The ISIS surge appears to be the culmination of jihadists' work over many decades to set up a Caliphate, or Muslim empire.  They are seizing the opportune moment.  Thanks to the U.S. military, much of their opposition has been wiped out, and Iraq looks ripe for the picking.

What should be done about ISIS?  The world looks on in horror as the jihadists slaughter all who will not convert.  Naturally Americans look to our government to step in and fix things.  Unfortunately, our past efforts to fix things have contributed significantly to the current mess.  Western interference in the Middle East since World War II has systematically alienated governments in virtually every country.

American foreign policy is such a mess that I don't advocate any military action.  But politicians love wars, and I see no reason they would steer clear of this one.

I am wondering how Christians should respond.  Of course we need to pray.  We need to trust that God can use even horrific events for good.  But we can't hide behind faith to avoid stepping up to help those in need.  After all, in the story of the Good Samaritan, the religious people apparently used their religion to justify their failure to help.

Samaritan's Purse now provides humanitarian aid for refugees, fleeing the atrocities.  The Orthodox Christian Network offers eight suggested ways to help the victims of ISIS, some of which I would endorse.

We can't ignore this historic turn of events in the Middle East.  May God lead his people around the world to stand firm for Christ and step up for one another.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.