After recently seeing the film, "The Nativity" I came to realize the difficulties and hardships endured by Joseph and Mary during their long, 100 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They had to traverse mountains and streams and survive the trip with little food and water. Few of us in 21st Century America have endured those kinds of hardships.

This Christmas season, my thoughts turn to our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who must celebrate Christmas in secret or in prison cells because they've dared to travel the road to Bethlehem. For them it's a daily journey, a walk of love to honor and worship our savior, born in Bethlehem and still hated by much of the world.

Several weeks ago in China, I met members of the China Inland Mission Church of Xiaoshang. Last July, Public Security officials destroyed their new church bulding and arrested several of their leaders for unauthorized construction and church activities.
Those Chinese Christians will spend Christmas in prison this year--alone--without their families. Like Joseph and Mary, they have endured hardships for Christ.

My thoughts also turn to the nine families in the northeast India state of Asaam who were forced from their homes last month for converting to Christianity. Radical Hindus destroyed the house of six of the nine Christian families. These new believers, will spend this Christmas homeless. They too, endure hardship for the sake of Jesus.

In Eritrea, Africa the families of Immanuel Andegergesh, 23, and Kibrom Firemichel, 30, will celebrate the birth of Christ without their loved ones. Last October, the two men died from torture wounds and severe dehydration in a military prison camp outside the town of Adi-Quala. Their crime? Holding unauthorized religious services in their homes south of Asmara.

And I grieve with the family of 69-year-old Presbyterian church Elder Munthir who was kidnapped and murdered by radical Muslims after leading worship services at the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Mosul, Iraq on November 26.

Thousands more--too many to detail in this Blog--have suffered this year simply because they love and follow Jesus.

Though hardships and uncertainties lie ahead, we join them in their journey down the Christian road to Bethlehem because they are our family members and we share their love for Christ. May we all be encouraged by the examples of our suffering brothers and sisters around the world. May we thank God for their sacrifice and pray that He will give them strength and perseverance. May they experience the peace and love that only the Christ child can bring as we journey the road to Bethlehem this Christmas.