What if faith in Jesus would land you in prison? What if being a Christian meant being bullied and picked on, having to do church in secret or even being marked down at school? What if your family threw you out because of your beliefs, or owning a Bible was illegal? What if following Jesus meant a life of violence and threats?
What if you chose to believe in Jesus despite the cost?
340 million Christians around the world experience systematic discrimination, unfair treatment and persecution. That’s one in every eight Christians globally. They choose to follow Jesus despite the fear of arrest, prison, rejection, threats and violence. Across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, millions of Christians live with the reality of persecution, simply because they choose to shine God’s love and light.
This matters. Our relationship with Jesus connects us to these millions of believers around the world. We share the same heartbeat. Together, we are God’s Church. Brothers and sisters – part of the same body, all seeking to show the love we’ve received to the world around us. And when one part of the body suffers, we all do.