“Fix
these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands
and bind them on your foreheads.” Deuteronomy 11:18 (NIV)
“…
store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; … Matthew 6:20 (NIV)
Last evening,
60 Minutes reporter, Lara Logan reported
on “Iraq’s Christians.” I will quote
her words that you can read and hear by typing “Iraq’s Christians – 60 Minutes”
into Google.
“On the side
of a mountain, overlooking the Nineveh Plains of ancient Mesopotamia is the
Monastery of St. Matthew. It’s one of the oldest on earth…. There are few
places on earth where Christianity is as old as it is in Iraq. Christians there
trace their history to the first century apostles. But today, their existence
has been threatened by the terrorist group that calls itself Islamic State.
More than 125,000 Christians—men, women and children—have been forced from
their homes over the last ten months.” (60 Minutes March 22, 2015)
These
Christians had to leave their homes and churches quickly. Refugees packed a few
books along with personal possessions. However, the urgency of their departing
meant that some of the oldest Christian manuscripts, books, and papers on earth
were left behind. Some dated to the first century. Father Joseph Ibrahim, of
the Monastery there, said their services were in the language of Jesus Christ,
Aramaic. It may have been the last place on earth were Aramaic was spoken, kept
alive in their prayers and church services. Father Joseph Ibrahim said there
had been only seven monks left at St. Matthew, founded in 363. It had “survived
the Persian and Ottoman empires, Mongol invaders and Kurdish conquests… and now
is threatened by the Islamic State…” But,
they are now gone from that Monastery.
We live in
dangerous times. Because we do not live on the Nineveh Plains does not mean
that the destruction of Christians in Iraq does not impact our lives. “Much of
what took almost 2,000 years to build has been lost in a matter of months” in
Iraq. How long would it take for our culture to fall if the Islamic State were
to come here? How many Bibles would remain? Libraries? The Lincoln Memorial?
The Washington Monument?
Are we
completely helpless in this battle over beliefs? For today, I challenge every one
of us to read and know the word of God well enough that it becomes written on
our hearts. Some may complain, “But, I can’t memorize anything.” Still, the
flavor of God and the perfume of His presence can be with us if we know Him
through His own words and repeat them in our homes.
I was one of
the lucky third-graders who had Miss. Weimer for our teacher. The secret to her
popularity was her story telling. At the end of a school day, Miss. Weimer
would “act out” the stories we loved. She “told stories;” she didn’t read them.
Her tales live in my heart to this day.
What stories
are we writing on our children’s hearts for them to remember and cherish for a
lifetime? In light of the present destruction of the Christian culture in Iraq,
bury His words in your heart and mind where no one can break in and steal.
Share His words as often as you can; where ever you can; as lovingly as you
can; for as long as you can. Let’s pray:
“Dear father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, I bow before your name, your holiness. During this season
of Christ’s Passion, when I am called on to remember you more frequently, more
clearly, I ask that your words may be planted in my heart like seeds for the
harvest. Give me the memory to recall your words in my home, my work and my
gathering places. Forgive me when I have not taken my sacred ministry, to remember, seriously. Today, I will
remember. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen”
Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you
mine.”
Copyright 2015 Doris Gaines Rapp
A few of my novels:
Length of Days – Beyond the Valley of
the Keepers (2nd in the trilogy in which the Keepers memories books
before they were all destroyed)
News at Eleven – A Novel (April 2015 the
novelette expansion that first appeared in Glo Magazine - winter 2015)
