You may well ask, “But what can we possibly do that would make a difference?” I have been thinking deeply about this, and here’s my answer: We must pray without ceasing. Please pray that persecuted Christians everywhere, and especially in war-torn Syria, would have access to a Bible for their encouragement, and remain in tune with the Holy Spirit’s voice, their comforter. 

In ancient days, when a watchman on Israel’s walls detected an approaching enemy, the first thing he did was grab his shofar.

First mentioned in the Old Testament in Exodus 19:13, the shofar was essentially an instrument, a horn made of ram’s horn or ibex. Similar to a military trumpet used to rally the troops, you can still hear its clarion profundo echoing across the Holy Land today.

That’s what I am doing today. I’m sending out a signal to anyone who will listen, sounding the alarm: Christians are dying in Syria.

It appears the social order there has broken down in the wake of the revolution against strongman Bashar al-Assad. We may be witnessing the early stages of a pogrom against Syria’s roughly 500,000 Christians.

As I write these words, imprisoned Christians are shivering in dank jail cells in Syria — and those are the lucky ones. In recent weeks, we’ve seen over 1,000 civilians killed there. The only offense for many: Their Christian faith. 

Mind you, this is happening in the region where Paul of Tarsus was active 2000 years ago. As recorded in Acts 9, he was on a mission himself to imprison and persecute Christians — but was intercepted by Christ. 

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” the Lord’s voice demanded. On that road to Damascus, Paul’s life was forever changed. But that spirit of persecution in the region tragically continues.

My urgent message to all my fellow Christians worldwide, and to people of good will everywhere: we cannot ignore this violent tragedy. 

“The Christians in Syria are terrified,” author and inter-faith leader Rev. Johnnie Moore recently told Fox News. “They’re so terrified that they won’t say it out loud. And that’s why we have to be there for them.”

My good friend Rev. Moore is right. For the believer, defending the persecuted is not an optional endeavor. Until we stamp out religious intolerance, our sense of security will always depend on which political party, ruler, or despot happens to be in charge.

Read More