Hope to be Reunited

There is trouble in this world, but we can know that Christ is with us.  We may face separation from
friends and loved ones, but, for the Christian, we can hope in Him. Romans 8 says:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because we name the name of Christ, we can come to expect suffering in this life; but we can know and trust someone who is present with us in our suffering and is devoted to doing His work out of His great love for us.  We have the promise that we will never be separated from His love, although we may face separation from others, including the pain of a broken relationship, brought about by any number of factors.  We can rejoice in our God who restores.

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We are reminded that persecution can bring separation of family members, such as we have seen in
the case of a young girl who was kidnapped by a terror group in Africa. 1st Peter 5 reminds us:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Mother's Day was observed this past Sunday, and I trust it was a rich time for you to honor your mother, if she is still on this earth, or to reflect on her memory.  The relationship between mother and child is very special, because she was used by God our Creator to bring us into this world.

And, we can realize that sometimes that relationship can be strained, and there may be the pain of separation.  Consider the case of Rebecca Sharibu - over two years ago, her daughter Leah was kidnapped by members of the terror group Boko Haram in Nigeria.  Lela Gilbert of Family Research Council wrote a piece that was published at the Real Clear Religion website; she gives some background here:

Sharibu doesn’t know where her daughter is. She has no idea when or if she’ll see her again. In fact, she’s isn’t even sure whether – as has been reported – her almost 17-year-old daughter is now a mother herself.

Leah Sharibu, Rebecca’s daughter, was one of some 105 female victims kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in February 2018. Leah, a Christian, was abducted in a terrifying raid along with her Muslim classmates at Dapchi Girls' Science and Technical College.

After a month following that raid, most of the girls were released, but not Leah. Why not?  Gilbert shares this insight:

The other girls were all Muslim. And Leah had refused to renounce her Christian faith.

When she heard that her classmates were being set free, Leah asked one of them to carry a note to Rebecca Shirabu. “My mother you should not be disturbed,” she wrote. “I know it is not easy missing me, but I want to assure you that I am fine where I am… I am confident that one day I shall see your face again. If not here, then there at the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Lela Gilbert of FRC writes:

Last summer I met Rebecca Sharibu in Washington D.C. She had come to seek help from the United States. Her heartache was etched on her weary, unsmiling face.

When I asked if she’s been given any information about her daughter’s condition, she shook her head. “We don’t even know where Leah is,” her friend translated. “We have not seen her. We have not heard from her. I have no idea.” She was near tears, but after a moment, she composed herself. “I have come here to plead with your government and with all the people: Please do whatever you can…”

About six months later, on January 26, 2020, a Nigerian news source The Cable reported that Leah Sharibu was “impregnated by one of the commanders of the sect, and she was delivered of a baby four days ago.” Of course it was impossible to confirm the story, although it implied that Leah is probably still alive.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that Nigeria be designated as a "country of particular concern" and Boko Haram as an "entity of particular concern" due to its religious freedom abuses.  Commission Chairman Tony Perkins, who is President of FRC, has, as Gilbert points out, "personally advocated for Leah Shirabu as a 'prisoner of conscience' for refusing to renounce her faith."

Gilbert encourages a "moment of reflection" for this mother and daughter and writes: "Even those of us who live a world away from Nigeria may not be able to physically welcome home our own children and grandchildren this Mother’s Day. Still, we’ll probably hear their voices on the phone or see their faces on a video feed before the day is over. And we’ll keep reminding ourselves that there’s always next year. Sadly, this is not the case for Leah and Rebecca – and many other moms and daughters around the world."

The Sharibus are experiencing the pain of separation and hopefully, one day, will experience the joy of reconciliation.  We can regard the Lord as our healer and restorer, and He wants to mend broken relationships.  Rebecca essentially has no knowledge of or control over her daughter's whereabouts.  She can certainly pray and trust God for Leah's safe return.  God repairs the broken and in instances where someone may experience a need for restoration of a broken relationship, God is present and may indeed be directing an opportunity to reconcile.

And, you would hope that Leah feels she is not alone - recognizing there are many believers who are standing with her. Christians can remember the persecuted and stand with them in prayer. And, we can develop a heart for justice and cry out to the just Judge, who brings justice for the sake of His name.