It is a heavy sentence, and I cannot bear the burden of it. I must turn the thought, the burden, the powerlessness over to God in prayer. I must also commit the incomprehensibility of the persecution of Christians to God.
The big why I get from reading the Bible and meeting Cain who kills Abel, and from there there is a line through the Bible all the way to John who in his Revelation talks about those who came out of the great battle will stand and sing praises to God.
There are great promises in the Bible - of God's presence and omnipotence. But also promises that those who believe in him will be persecuted. And then there are stories in the Bible about people who - persecuted - take their faith out into the world. About Peter in prison singing songs of praise - about a straight line of believers who can tell us that God is near in the darkness.
I don't understand the meaning of persecution - but I do understand that when people hold on to faith - faith is not just a fleeting idea from the distant past - the content of faith is worth holding on to even in 2023! Then Jesus is still the strongest. Then we can continue to sing with the children: My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there is nothing impossible for him.
This year too, we must ask God to hold us fast and call more people to faith in Him.
Helene Koefoed-Jespersen is Mission Secretary at Evangelical Lutheran Mission Society
