by Hannah Castro

“Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? For sighing has become my daily food, my groans pour out like water,” Job said, lamenting the greatest tragedies he would ever face. “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil” (Job 3:23–26).

All Job had, all he had known, all he had loved was wrenched from his grasp. There is perhaps no greater example of head-on suffering in all of Scripture—barring the Savior’s sacrifice on the Cross.

Perhaps we turn to Job as we walk through times of hardship—to make our circumstances feel less severe or to remind ourselves of true all-encompassing loss in comparison to our own.

Or maybe we turn to his story so that the Lord can speak to our hearts again and again, reminding us that suffering bred from sacrifice is servanthood.

Sacrificial Suffering—A Biblical Basis

There is often purpose in suffering, and dare I remind us that suffering is biblical. Job is a reminder that even the blameless and upright are no exception to trial.

The Psalms, too, are full of laments:

“Hear my cry for help, my King and my God” (Ps. 5:2).

“Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Ps. 10:1).

“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?” (Ps. 13:1).

Scripture is no stranger to showcasing suffering.

Adam and Eve suffered the death of a child. Joseph suffered injustice and betrayal. Moses suffered through the responsibility of leading a rebellious people. Jeremiah suffered rejection and persecution. Hannah suffered infertility. Ruth suffered widowhood and loss. Daniel suffered exile. Several of the disciples suffered violent deaths dur to their commitment to their faith.

The list is never-ending.

Our perfect Jesus experienced the utmost brutality, bearing our suffering, prophesied even within the Old Testament: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem” (Isa. 53:3).

The Bible is full of aching, agony, and affliction, but all of these experiences are not simply held between its pages.

We experience suffering ourselves. It is our reality in the here and now, the reality of our fallen world.

The Bible makes it clear that we, as Christians, are not exempt from hardship. In John 16:33, Jesus forewarned as promised His followers: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Suffering is not an anomaly, but a part of our human experience. However, the nature and intensity of such varies depending on geographic, cultural, and political contexts.

We read of the Early Church, of biblical experiences—and yes, those were realities we must come to acknowledge and learn from—but we need to be aware of the realities around us even still. Suffering is not just a historical experience. It is active in ways we often cannot even imagine—especially those of us in the West.

When Suffering Still Stands

For many, myself included, the idea of such deep tribulation is often still associated with biblical stories or whispers of such from around the globe. I find it difficult, in my present reality—particularly in the West and as part of the Western church—to truly have a deep-rooted, holistic perspective on what it means to suffer for my faith or as a testament to my beliefs.

Yet persecution in the global Church is real.

For many parts of Africa—and other regions of the world—the very same suffering that is foreign to us in the West is simply a part of the human experience, especially for believers.

In fact, though a bold statement, I don’t believe it to be too far-fetched to say that most Christians around the world—particularly outside of the West—expect suffering. Our Alliance brothers and sisters in West Africa are no exception.

This past year alone, just within the Alliance national church in Burkina Faso, over 19,600 Christians have been displaced, including 189 pastors; 163 churches have closed, 17 of which were destroyed; nine pastors have been killed and two are currently missing; and 37 Alliance believers have been murdered.

And those are just the numbers from our own Alliance family—the total numbers are far greater.

To put it in perspective, on a terrible Sunday afternoon this past August, terrorists came to an Alliance church in Burkina, told all the men to gather in the building, proceeded to tie them up, and brutally murdered 26 of them. Not only are husbands and fathers now gone, but wives, children, and other family members are left abandoned, often needing to flee.

One of our Alliance worker couples in the region says that unfortunately, “these are the kinds of stories we’re hearing on a daily basis.” They personally knew some of those who were killed in the attack.

They reflect on the circumstances of their country: “You go 50 miles or more in any direction and you’re right in the thick of where the terrorist attacks are taking place. It’s very, very sad, and everyone’s hearts here are crying out, ‘How long, oh Lord, how long?'”

The attacks are increasing, yet the global reports often don’t reflect the complete story or number of tragedies.

Here’s a bit of the reality in these West African countries: terrorist activity abounds, attacks are prevalent, and violent outbreaks are not a surprise. Schools are closing, medical facilities are shutting down, and terrorists are taking over.

If people aren’t killed or held hostage, they are often being run out of their villages and homes, and their livelihoods are being destroyed.

Imagine living every day in fear for your life, your family’s lives, and for your home and church’s existence to be no more.

People are fleeing to internally displaced people (IDP) camps, where the money has run so low that they can only expect one meal a day. Oftentimes, there’s just simply not a choice. Fleeing for their lives is reality.

Most of the reported pastors and families who are being persecuted already live in the context of poverty as farmers. Some 80 percent of the people live off what they farm, so when they flee, they are losing not only their homes and belongings—let alone family members at times—they are losing their only source of food and sustenance. Food insecurity is at an all-time high, and families can’t afford to move. These IDP camps are sometimes the only option.

How Can We Walk Alongside?

It has been reported that these circumstances present as one of the fastest growing humanitarian crises in the world.

The harsh realities of the current situations are not always the first, second, or third signs of suffering. Many of these believers have already been martyred for their faith for becoming followers of Jesus and been persecuted by their families and by their communities.

One of our international worker couples serving in Senegal reflects on the martyrdom they’ve witnessed: “I think there already is a resilience, a dedication, and a commitment to their faith even before all of this that has sustained them in the midst of even more struggles and trials.”

The national church president in Burkina recently said that the greatest need is to pray for the terrorists, that they would come to know Jesus. May it be so. God is still sovereign.

The Church has not been stagnant—The Alliance has partnered with the national churches in these countries to distribute food, work with those in the IDP camps, provide vocational livelihood opportunities and education for displaced children, work toward rehabilitation, and so much more. But they need help.

Not only are we, as the Body, called to partner in prayer, to get on our knees before King Jesus and plead for redemption and care for our brothers and sisters who are suffering, to intercede on their behalf, but we are also able to give tangibly.

Our giving matters and is making a real difference in the lives of those who are suffering in ways we can’t even imagine. Thank you for partnering with our brothers and sisters facing trials of many kinds.

For the Sake of the Gospel

Amid the suffering in Burkina and around the world, many are not hiding the fact that they serve Jesus—they are prepared in that aspect to suffer. They take some comfort in recognizing that they are not the first to go through these tragedies, to experience such hardships—they follow in the footsteps of the Early Church and biblical history.

For the sake of Christ. If there is one thought that sums it up, it would be that.

We have a suffering servant in Jesus, who informs how we understand and live out the gospel. We can recognize that suffering, an inevitable part of our human existence, has redemptive purposes. God refines us, deepens our reliance on Him, forms our character, and strengthens the faith of others through our obedience, all while promising ultimate restoration.

We are active participants in Christ’s mission.

For the promise of the end of suffering is this: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death of mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

Until then, we wait on Him to redeem and restore—but we do not do so idly. We pray fervently. We give to our brothers and sisters in need. We support them in as many ways as we can and remain aware. We stay steadfast in our obedience to the Lord. We expect suffering because it was forewarned, though it takes on many different forms. We praise Him through it all.

For the sake of Christ.

To give aid to the suffering Alliance national church in Burkina Faso or to the internally displaced peoples in West Africa, visit cmalliance.org/give, select “a project you love,” type in “Burkina Relief Fund” or “Church Construction Burkina,” or give through CAMA at secure.camaservices.org/camagive by selecting “Aid for West Africa’s Displaced People.”

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