SWITZERLAND: THE FRUIT OF FREEDOM SOWN WITH THE SEED OF MARTYRDOM
“Give me a man perfectly consecrated, and I do not care much what he is. He may be rough, unpolished, and even illiterate; but if he be consecrated, the people will feel his power. ” Spurgeon
Dear friends
You probably watched the video of the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who were martyred in Libya seven years ago – and we all marvelled at their courage and faithfulness. But have you heard about the 6,600 Egyptian Coptic Christians who were martyred in Switzerland?
When the Lord stirred our hearts to return to our first love of serving the Persecuted Church – that which we believe we were consecrated for more than 40 years ago – our first call was to travel to Switzerland and spend some time with our Egyptian mentors who now live in Europe. You would probably think that a more strategic approach would have been to visit Afghanistan, the most closed country in the world, or maybe even North Korea, but definitely not Switzerland.
And yet, once the call came to travel to Europe, we knew that the Lord had something new, unique, majestic and even maybe mysterious in mind. And we were not disappointed.
Upon arrival, we were asked by our Egyptian friends if we know the story of Saint Maurice, one of 6,600 Egyptian soldiers who were martyred in Switzerland during the third century. To be honest, we have never heard of Saint Maurice, but we immediately knew that the link between this historic martyrdom and the growth of Christianity in Switzerland could provide some answers for our journey ahead. So, we decided to drive to St Maurice, the town named after the martyr, and visit the abbey the next day.
But let’s first explore the background:
Saint Maurice was an Egyptian military leader who headed the legendary Theban Legion of Rome (today known as Upper Egypt) in the 3rd century. Maurice became a soldier in the Roman army and rose through the ranks until he became the commander of the Theban legion, leading nearly a thousand men. He was an acknowledged Christian at a time when early Christianity was considered to be a threat to the Roman Empire. Yet, he moved easily within the pagan society of his day. The legion, entirely composed of Christians, had been called from Thebes in Egypt to Gaul in the Alps to assist Emperor Maximian in defeating a revolt by the Bagaudae.
The Theban Legion was dispatched with orders to clear the Great St Bernard Pass (Switzerland today) across the Alps. Before going into battle, they were instructed to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods and pay homage to the emperor. Maurice pledged his men’s military allegiance to Rome but he stated that service to God superseded all else. He said that to engage in cruel slaughter was inconceivable to Christian soldiers and that he and his men refused to worship Roman deities. Emperor Maximian then ordered the unit to be punished by killing every tenth soldier, a military punishment known as decimation. More orders followed, the men refused compliance as encouraged by Maurice, and a second decimation was ordered. In response to the Theban Christians’ refusal to attack fellow Christians, Maximian eventually ordered all the remaining members of his legion to be executed throughout the region. The place in Switzerland where the martyrdom occurred, known as Agaunum, is now Saint-Maurice, Switzerland, site of the Abbey of St. Maurice.
The story of St Maurice is not much different than that of believers in Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia and many more today. But there is one difference. St Maurice provides a window by which we can observe present freedom through the lenses of past persecution. Switzerland bears witness that Christians are not buried but planted, and that the fruit of freedom is often found on the tree of persecution. The martyrdom of St Maurice and his followers becomes a key event in searching for answers to questions which is yet unanswered in modern-day closed countries.
As we left St Maurice I looked at Magdy and reflected at the then and the now, and commented on the old Biblical truth that “the blood of the martyr is indeed the seed of the church”. His answer provided a deeper insight that started shaping our thoughts for the way forward. “Yes my brother” he said “but the blood of a martyr is not something fluid. It is a voice, and that voice is crying out to God. This blood – this voice – is timeless, it is wordless, it is limitless. it is powerful. It is crying out to God day and night throughout the ages. And God WILL answer”
During our time of prayer in the chapel of St Maurice I really sensed a deep conviction that not only has our season changed, but a season for the persecuted Church is also changing. The roles are now being reversed. The persecuted Church will soon be the source of strength and survival for the Church in the West. Our service and support now need to be transformed into learning and applying. The martyrs of Egypt paved the way for a nation to be birthed into Christianity. The heritage is umistakenly there, the future is uncompromisingly linked.
As we drove away a vision was born in our hearts. In whatever way the Lord sees fit we therefore commit ourselves to serve the persecuted, still under the umbrella of dia-LOGOS, in five distinct ways:
- TO AFFIRM AND TO ANALYSE
Through articles and seminars, we aim to remind Christians in the West of the reality of global persecution and affirm 1 Corinthians 12:26 that if one member of the body suffers the whole body suffers with it. We will seek to serve the church in freedom as well as the persecuted Church by introducing one to the other by analysing trends, movements, hotspots and tipping points in regions where Christians are persecuted
- TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND TO APPRECIATE
Through meetings, prayer meetings and Church services we aim to acknowledge the lessons learnt from persecuted believers and appreciate the irreplaceable role they play in discipling the Church in the West into a life of self-denial, obedience and embracing the cross of Christ. It is time to appreciate the persecuted Church for their unique role within the Kingdom of God. Appreciate them, do not pity them.
- TO ARTICULATE AND TO AMPLIFY
The lessons learnt from those who have counted the cost and answered the call to martyrdom need to be articulated and amplified so the Church in freedom can heed the lessons of faithfulness and obedience. A comfort-full Church often leads to a cross-free faith, which will ultimately end up in a declining and powerless church (see dialogos: https://dialogos.co.za/mozambique-from-revival-to-survival/)
- TO ALIGN AND TO APPLY
Once these lessons are articulated and amplified it should be aligned with the cross of Christ and applied in Westen Churches. To a large extent the survival of western Christianity, becoming more and more secular by the day, will depend on lessons learnt from those who share the cross of Christ. (see dialogos: https://dialogos.co.za/evangelize-or-fossilize-a-solution-to-a-declining-church-in-the-west/) We need to share in the spiritual abundance of the persecuted Church while they need to share in the abundance of our resources in the West. We need one another.
- TO ASSIST AND TO AID
To strengthen that which remains and are at the point of death (revelation 3:2 ) should be a high priority for every believer in the free west. This will not change. But the season of seeing the persecuted Church as those in need should be renewed. They are now in a position to assist and aid the church in the West while being strengthened and equipped. We need to discover new models of support that will equip and strengthen the WHOLE body of Christ, not just one part of the body. Two new models could assist in this regard:
- Twinning:
The concept of twinning is quite simple. At the heart of the Church is an interdependent community of people with a world-wide vision.
TWINNING is not a new concept in serving the Persecuted Church, but it is a neglected concept. For too long this service was a one-way street where there was a ‘sender’ and a ‘receiver’ – for example, we send Bibles and they receive it.
However, the immediate challenges of COVID-19 have thrusted this traditional thinking into a new direction. Developing partnerships is the new norm and “twinning” churches with churches, and believers with believers will take our service beyond traditional limitations and will allow all role-players to play equally significant roles.
Please contact us for more information and a detailed brochure in this regard
- Greener Pastures
This concept is equally simple and profoundly enriching
The number of Christians being persecuted is heartbreaking. And yet, they do not tell the whole story. Millions live in isolation, fear, and loneliness, like sheep without a shepherd. In all of these nations, we also have those who serve in leadership roles in seeking to promote Jesus and His Gospel. You can imagine how challenging it must be. Christian leaders face the daily challenges of intense pressures and persecution and yet have to care for those in the flocks who expect them to lead with courage, boldness, and wisdom.
For many there simply is no opportunity to escape the “lion’s den” for a time of rest, renewal, and reflection. Working in restricted regions, under an ever-present cloud of suffering, is like swimming underwater: moments to breathe are rare. Often the only request we receive from workers in restricted countries is for an opportunity to “surface and breathe again”. Every moment with fellow believers from the outside, every moment of fellowship gives them oxygen to dive deep again. Some of the incidents might seem insignificant, but we as a Church in freedom need to make this a priority: not to remove persecution but secure “oxygen” that will allow the persecuted Church to continue faithfully, over and over again.
This is the foundational principle of PROJECT GREEN PASTURES – inviting persecuted believers to a country where they can breathe, relax, refresh, and be reequipped to dive deep again, back in their own nation of service
PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION AT THRIDWAYINFO@GMAIL.COM