Christmas is a time of great joy and celebration as we remember the coming of our Saviour. But vast numbers of Christians will be suffering over Christmas.

Christians will suffer due to war and civil unrest (Chechnya, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Serbs in Kosovo) and Jihad (Chechnya, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ambon). Others will suffer due to imprisonment (China, Laos, Vietnam, Central Asia), captivity (Mexico, Colombia, Chechnya), slavery (Sudan), oppression and persecution (Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China), fundamentalist Hindu violence (India) and discrimination (Egypt), to name just a few.

We don’t often wish to think about suffering over Christmas. We must however take time to reflect, not on suffering per se, but on the love we have for our brothers and sisters not blessed with freedom to worship as we are. We pray for them at Christmas, not to spoil our joy or make ourselves feel sad, but because God calls us to intercede and we love them.

– Summary of RLP 040 from World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF) Religious Liberty Prayer List. The whole article is available on request from <
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