Secret Church

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Following Christ “Insane” In Somalia Posted: 12 Aug 2013 10:01 PM PDT The headlines that flash through your brain when you think about Somalia are probably littered with negative subjects ranging from war to starvation. Today, keeping the social injustice inflicted by both greedy pirates and religious terrorists in view, try to see Somalia through the lens of Christian missions. Following Christ in Somalia is hard. And it’s not just because life in Somalia is hard, although this it most assuredly is. However, for Christians living there, other factors come into play  that heighten their already grim circumstances. One such factor is terrorist groups like al-Shabaab, whose goal is to target and eliminate Christian converts. Another factor is their constitution – strictly Islamic and void of provisions for religious freedom of any kind. So for our fellow disciples over there, while trying to avoid the literal and figurative land mines that daily plague Somalis in their war-torn country, they must also discern how to faithfully follow Jesus in a place where He is not welcomed. Nik Ripken and his family know firsthand the cost of following Christ in Somalia, and in it, they also know the “insane” joy of suffering with Christ. You can read his story in The Insanity of God, described in the video below. Here are some facts about Christianity in Somalia. The estimated number of Evangelical Christians in Somalia range from 300 to 4,300. Even if are 4,300, Christians there must fight hard to stay afloat in a sea of 10 million people who are 99% Muslim. The country suffered at the hands of rival warlords, drought, and overall anarchy for over 10 years after their president was overthrown. Last year, an internationally-backed government was established, and while stability is now increasing, Somalis have a lot of healing and building ahead of them. The current government in Somalia is Islamic through and through. Mission work in Somalia is limited, as it is very difficult to get into the country and the risk of abduction once inside is high. In Somalia, the life expectancy is for men is 50 years, and the life expectancy for women is 53 years. If life is not cut short by violence, it often is by starvation or preventable diseases. Persecution aside, Somali Christians fight to survive every day. Likewise, Christians seeking to reach Somalis must not ignore their urgent physical needs. Of the 21 people groups represented in Somalia, 17 are unreached (less than 2% Evangelical Christian). Pray that Christians in Somalia will be comforted in their suffering. Pray that they would persevere their faith and display Christ well to their neighbors who are also suffering. Pray that the Lord would meet them in their loneliness and, eventually, give them Christian community. And pray that those oppressing and persecuting them would see the strength of God in them, repent, and believe in Jesus. Information for this post was gathered from Operation World, World Watch List, and Joshua Project.

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