The last time I was in Cairo, Egypt, I was shopping for a few last-minute gifts before heading for the airport to fly home. It was a Friday. The pert young lady at the counter, probably 19 or 20 years old, was wearing a necklace with a cross—very common in our nation, but extremely unusual in the heart of the Muslim culture. Curious, I asked her about it, wondering if it was “only jewelry” or if there was any real meaning behind her wearing it.
Her response astounded me: “I want to represent Jesus Christ to my employer (he’s Muslim) and to my customers,” she said. “If Jesus loved me enough to give His life for me, the least I can do is to represent Him and let others know He loves them, too.”
Wow, what a testimony! She went on to tell me that her boss had agreed to allow her to be off work on Sundays so that she could attend her evangelical church and she, as assistant manager, would work on Fridays so he could worship at his mosque.
We can’t possibly imagine the pressures that surround Christians in Egypt where nearly all of life is dictated by Islam. According to best estimates, perhaps 15% of Egypt’s 77 million people are non-Muslims, with a much lower percentage being listed as “evangelical Christians.”
As the Egyptian government is still in its formative stages, following the February 11 resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, please pray for those brave Christians who are willing to “count the cost” of serving the One who gave His life for them.
Jim Falkenberg
Special Assistant to the President
Posted on
Fri, February 25, 2011
by Jim Falkenberg
filed under