A Jesus follower in southern Africa practically experienced the love and grace of God through those around him during major crisis in his life.
It is in the darkest hour that people need the most light — a practical demonstration of God’s love and goodness that goes against the evil that exists. For John*, several influential people were the practical hands and feet of Jesus to him when he needed it the most. These people imitated Jesus in their everyday lives — by loving God and loving others well.
John grew up in a predominately Muslim part of southern Africa, although his family were culturally Christian. When he was 10 years old, John travelled to a larger town where he knocked on a stranger’s door and asked if he could work at their house in exchange for the cost of his school fees in their town, as his village did not have one. After talking with his parents, the couple agreed. John helped with chores around the house and attended school. It was because of this couple’s kindness that John graduated from primary school and went on to learn other trades and skills.
Later, while living in a city, John attended a church where he first heard the gospel message preached in a way that he understood it. Growing up in his own family, John had never learnt about having a personal relationship with Jesus. While his family attended a church, it seemed much more like a cultural thing they did that was different from their Muslim neighbours. Then as a young man, John learnt what it really meant to be Christian. His pastor came alongside him and discipled John intentionally — telling him more about Jesus and how John could use his life to honour God.
In the name of Jesus
Several years ago, John was kidnapped by a group of extremist terrorists who attacked a city where John was selling fish. The group pillaged the marketplace and rounded up people to carry their bags of stolen property to their encampment. They tied people’s hands and feet, and the pace at which they were moving was so relentless that John found himself tripping and falling repeatedly. Hours later, he was towards the back of the group when he fell again. Exhausted, John said he could not continue and a soldier stepped forward to kill him.
“I started praying in the name of Jesus, but they said: 'this is not what we know. You have to pray as a Muslim',” John explained of that night. “I said: ‘I'm not able to pray as a Muslim, because I know Jesus.’ Then they started beating me and saying, ‘Who are you to Jesus?’…Then their commander called one soldier and asked him: ‘Can you show him what happened to Jesus?’” The soldiers found some nails and hammered John’s knees, feet and wrists into a tree. The ordeal was so extreme that John passed out, and the soldiers left him for dead. He vaguely recalls someone carrying him back to the city — and who later shared details with him about the persecution.
After hearing John's story, OM workers visited him in the hospital to offer aid and encouragement. OM helped cover his major medical expenses during John's long recovery process, which he otherwise would not have been able to afford. OM workers walked alongside John, providing spiritual support, prayer, encouragement and financial assistance when possible. They continue to stand with John and other Jesus followers who experience persecution, knowing that media attention wanes and those who have lost so much can be forgotten.
At each major crisis in John’s life, God worked through people to demonstrate His love, grace and compassion. The couple used their finances to support a child’s education. The pastor used his teaching and discipleship giftings to invest in John’s spiritual growth. A stranger carried John back to the city after he passed out, to receive medical attention. OM workers journeyed with John as he found his footing again — learning to forgive those who hurt him, recovering physically, mentally and emotionally from the ordeal and finding new employment and training opportunities.
Each of these Jesus followers was obedient to God, faithful in serving Him in their everyday lives, and a testimony of how God can work through those who love Him.
*name changed