The Thin Edge

This past weekend we traveled to the Manchester area where I spoke to a group of believers about true worship. I had chosen the passage where Paul and Silas found themselves arrested, beaten, and thrown into jail for their ministry to the demon-possessed slave girl in Acts 16. My intention was to show that worship is a way of life, not just something we do on Sundays, and how a life of worship can impact others around us.

What I didn't realize was that I would meet an 18-year-old Afghan man named Faheem (Arabic for "one who comprehends") who experienced almost the same treatment as the Apostle Paul just a few days earlier. He was enjoying a nice sunny evening in a public park in Oldham, England, where warm days have been scarce this summer. A couple of Muslim men approached him and offered him some marijuana, which he politely refused. Then they asked if he was Muslim, but he replied, "No, I am a Christian."

When they heard his testimony, they began to beat him. One man stabbed him in the cheek with a writing pen (thankfully he did not have a knife) and then they threw him into the lake. He has developed a cold from being thrown into the water and having to walk home in wet clothes, and his stab wound is healing nicely; however it has really shocked the Christian community in Oldham where the incident took place.

Toward the end of our meeting together, we were blessed to hear the testimony and witness the baptism of an Iranian brother who has recently become a follower of Jesus Christ. He has come to faith with the full realization that his very life could also be in danger, especially if his application for asylum in the UK is denied and he is forced to return to Iran. It reminds me to pray for our brothers and sisters everywhere who suffer for the sake of the Name.