Last September, as I sat on the floor of a small apartment in the backstreets of Bangkok, I found myself reflecting on CSW’s commitment to stand with everyone facing injustice because of their religion or belief.
This one-bedroomed flat was home to three generations of an Ahmadiyya family who had escaped persecution in Pakistan. One brave young mother told me that in Pakistan they ‘could have been killed any day.’ Yet in Bangkok they still lived under fear of arrest – forced to hide and live an unseen life that caused her to reflect: ‘here in Bangkok we die a little but every day’.
We heard their stories of violence and discrimination. We documented their cases. We promised to help, and we assured them they were not alone, they were not forgotten, and that as Christians we are compelled by a God who loves them.
Similarly, I remember sitting with leaders from the Yazidi community in Northern Iraq not long after the liberation of Mosul from Daesh (ISIS). We assured them that we stood in solidarity with them in the face of the genocidal atrocities that had been committed against the Yazidi people. I would like to think that we carried the hope of Christ that day.
We understand from Genesis that all people are created in the image of God, and the freedom to believe is known as the ‘first freedom’ given to humankind. For me, speaking up for all people – not just fellow Christians – is not only the right thing to do. It’s an integral part of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Jesus teaches us to love our neighbour and, in the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10), we are told quite clearly that our neighbour includes those who are not like us. I believe it also contributes to our Great Commission to go into all the world with the good news by actively demonstrating the love of God.
How could I possibly expect my Ahmadi friends, or those Yazidi elders, to understand that God loves them, if I was to turn my back on them when they were facing their darkest hours?
The love of Jesus compels me to ‘speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.’ (Proverbs 31:8-9)
Scot Bower, CEO