If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)
These words have always been challenging, yet how true they are for many believers of the Arab world! In choosing Christ, in spite of their family’s objections, they are living out Jesus’ command.
At Arab World Media, we do not want to shy away from the reality of becoming a believer in a Muslim-majority setting. It varies in severity, but family rejection is just one form of many hardships experienced by those who choose Christ.
One of our most recent Arabian Dawn videos addresses this subject with a poem, read by a Saudi Arabian believer. She speaks of her father, mother, brother and sister’s rejection after she made the decision to follow Christ. Yet, in spite of this pain, she prays for them to be protected and saved, drawing strength from the Lord.
Our hope is that in viewing this video many Muslims would see the reality of becoming a believer, and be touched by the sincerity of this woman’s faith, as well as her love for her family. Since the beginning of June, more than 4,000 have viewed it and we’ve had a number of responses by email, particularly from Iraq. Some have indicated that they have experienced opposition from their family, while others have had no contact or have kept their faith a secret. We’ll keep in touch to see how we can support them in the future.
Watch this English subtitled version and pray that many would be challenged and inspired by this woman’s faith and courage.