Christmas Day Strikes in Nigeria
The United States launched a Christmas Day attack on ISIS forces in Nigeria, according to the White House and the Department of War. The strikes, which were conducted with the cooperation of the Nigerian government, were aimed at ISIS terrorist forces accused of mass slaughter of Nigerian Christians in recent months. In November, Nigeria was added to the U.S. list of “countries of particular concern” for its human rights violations, and President Trump warned at the time there would be additional action taken if the killings did not stop.
Analysis and eternal perspective: Nigeria consistently ranks—according to multiple groups who monitor and report on religious persecution—as one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians. The reasons are complex and multi-layered, but the current dynamic is exacerbated by the fact that militant groups—most notably ISIS—exert a large amount of control by force and the Nigerian government is unable to offer sufficient deterrence.
While a military strike from a foreign actor will always be met with mixed opinions, this week’s strikes were unsurprising to most observers, as the U.S. and many other nations have been warning of increased intervention if the violence toward religious minorities continued.
As a Jesus follower, scripture is clear about your role in this story: You are to remember those being persecuted and you are to pray for them (Heb. 13:3). This story will fade from the headlines, as that is simply the news environment in which we live. But you and I must continue to remember those in harm’s way because of their faith. We must hold in fervent prayer our brothers and sisters who the Father calls “blessed” because of their persecution (Matt. 5:10).
Finally, this story should be a reminder for us to keep the challenges we face in perspective. You certainly have difficulty in life. We all do. It is so very easy to turn inward as a result of those struggles and to become mentally and spiritually absorbed by them. That tendency is suffocating. This story reminds us to pour our energy and prayer focus into holding up those who are being truly persecuted and killed on account of their faith in Jesus.
This association with suffering is both the way to bring relief to the persecuted and the method for lifting your eyes from all that afflicts you.