I belong to a Memoir Writing group.  On June 9th, a wicked cough prevented me from reading A PERSON WHO INSPIRED ME.  Our topic, for July 28th, was A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE.  I have combined the two, because I think we have significant milestones throughout our lives.  Often those milestones come because we meet a person – who inspires us - who puts a face - to an issue.  I met a homeless man in Tucson who gave homelessness a face.  I met a man who showed me the face of persecution.  

NOTE:  I HAVE REMOVED THE NAME OF THE TOWN, THE SPECIFIC CHRISTIAN COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH, AND THE MAN WE SPOKE WITH, TO PROTECT HIM.

A PERSON WHO INSPIRED ME AND A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE

I was on vacation with our daughter, her husband, and at least two grandkids.  Daughter and I decided to go for an adventure.

Now, I love to see churches and I found a picture a beautiful church.  It was shaped a bit differently than most, but the windows.  I am a sucker for stained-glass windows.  Off we went.  Would we get inside?  Would a door be unlocked?  Well, duh, if the door had not been unlocked, I would not have a story.  Not only did we get in, we were greeted by a friendly man.

I asked if we could look inside and see the windows.  “Of course.  Follow me.”  He put his cell phone in the pocket of his black robe, turned on the lights, and asked where we were from and why we had stopped here.  Being more talkative than my daughter, I answered his questions.  He smiled and said, “Let me show you around.”  He began to explain the stained-glass windows, paintings, and icons.  I quickly found out he had a sense of humor.  He pointed to one picture and with a straight face, said, “I need to send this one back.  It is the feeding of the five thousand and I can only count 4,999.”  We made our way around the sanctuary and came to the front. 

I assumed our tour was over.  “Let me show you the altar,” he said as he pushed a button.  The curtains parted and I was speechless.  The beauty.  The awe.  It took my breath away.  I know that is a clique, but it is the truth. 

Are you thinking, “This can happen at any number of churches.  Why were you inspired?”  My poor hubby is used to me saying, “Pull over!  I want to see that church.”  I have entered churches across this country.  We have worshiped at a few.  BUT, at no church have I ever met a man so willing to give us his time and tell us the church’s story. 

As we sat down, he asked what we knew about the Coptic Christians.  We told him what we knew and he took it from there.  He started by telling us, “You know more than most.  Our services are conducted in English and in Arabic.  In English because some had been here long enough to understand English.  In Arabic, for two reasons.  Some hold onto the tradition of the service being in Arabic, BUT the main reason was to help those that were continuing to arrive from Egypt.”  It was then that he turned serious.

He told story after story of persecution by the Islamic population.  ISIS and other Islamic groups would kidnap young girls to be married to Muslim men.  Coptic Christians were imprisoned if they spoke out against the Muslim faith.  Being outnumbered, they have few resources to fight with when forced to either convert to the Islamic faith, pay a fee instead of converting, or be beheaded.  He discussed this with us for almost an hour.  I heard many stories I will never forget. 

We entered a church because of the windows and the outside beauty of the building.  We left having seen the beauty of the sanctuary and being changed by the stories of the congregation. 

BUT why pick this for my writing on a person who inspired me and now for a significant milestone?  This man, representing Coptic Christians, opened my eyes to a level of persecution I cannot imagine and to the strength it takes to stand against persecution.  I was inspired by what he said and by the tears, he did not try to control, as he told the story of the church and those that attended.  This is a significant milestone because, when I hear or read of the religious persecutions of Christians in Egypt and other countries, there is a face that appears.  The face of a gentle soul that told stories that broke my heart.

So far, I have the freedom to attend the church or religious opportunities of MY choice.  So far, I have the freedom to speak up for my beliefs.  So far, I have never been threatened because I am a Christian.  This Father inspired me to defend my beliefs and to NEVER allow my religious freedoms to be taken away!!  I pray I am never tested and I pray that, if tested, God will give me the strength to stand tall and say, “Do to me what you must, but I believe in the One True God and in His Son Jesus Christ, who willingly took my sins upon himself, so I can stand before God as his daughter.”