God Among the Fulani

We are called to take the light of Christ into the dark places of our world, and personally, we should ideally allow the light of Christ to shine in our hearts to eradicate the darkness that resides in us. He is the light of the world, and He calls us to follow and radiate His light. 1st Peter 2 says:
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.

This is a critical message that we have been given to proclaim - Christ came into this world; He is God who came in the flesh.  He identifies with our sufferings, and suffered for us so that we might come into a relationship with Him.  In the midst of human travail, we can know His love and His hope; He gives us the power to endure and the wisdom we need in order to navigate the hostility of this world.  We are called to identify areas of suffering around us so that we can show His compassion.

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The Bible tells us that there will be suffering in this world. Because we live in a fallen world, ravaged by sin, there is hardship, yet, in the midst of it, we can radiate our hope in the Lord. 2nd Corinthians 4 states:
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

We are continuing to see the toll of human suffering that is occurring in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including thousands who are risking life and livelihood to flee the battlezone into neighboring countries; and there, the Church, through Christian ministries and local churches, is working feverishly to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  God is certainly at work in the middle of severe suffering in that region.

And, in Africa, we find that even among members of a group that has come to be known for its terror activities, the Spirit of the Lord is working.  Mission Network News reports that in the nation of Niger, "God is working among the Fulani and Tuareg tribes, predominantly Muslim groups that often attack Christians."  The article relates that, "These groups have often been used as pawns by outside political forces who want to promote radical Islam. Other attacks stem from the differing needs of farmers and herdsmen or different tribal disputes."

The article quotes Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs, who is heard on Saturday mornings at 11:30 on Faith Radio. He states, "There are converts, people who are following Christ, out of those tribes that are then literally going village to village. They are sharing the Gospel and finding great fertile soil for the seeds of the Gospel that are being planted.” Nettleton adds, "Don’t fail to remember that God is at work among the Fulani. I’ve seen some amazing pictures of Fulani in their full tribal regalia, with their headcovers, being baptized into the kingdom of God.”

Samaritan's Purse is a ministry that has been working in the nation of Niger.  It posted a report from last summer regarding a May attack in which, "Militants vandalized walls, burned hymnbooks and vestments, and turned their guns on churchgoers."  The report said:

These attacks, targeting Christians in the days following the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, left at least five people dead, some of the victims murdered within sight of their families. Since January, more than 300 people in the region have been killed in such attacks. The United Nations estimates more than 10,000 people fled over two days from the Tillaberi region in western Niger.

Samaritan’s Purse ran agricultural and livelihoods programs in the area in the past; we also rebuilt a church in 2019. Violence in the region has been ongoing in recent years, a tragedy that has now created a community of displaced families in Niger’s capital, Niamey. Today Samaritan’s Purse is again helping in Jesus’ Name, providing relief to scores of struggling people as they arrive in the city without any resources.

Between 2015 and 2019, the ministry built 66 churches in the country. Its website related: "God has worked mightily through Samaritan’s Purse and local church leaders to restore and rebuild. In total we’ve built 66 places of worship in areas surrounding the capital, Niamey, and in other locations. These structures serve to remind the people of Niger that God is still at work in their country. The new buildings have also become hubs for ministry, evangelism, and discipleship."

We can be thankful for the sensitivity of so many Christian ministries to the human suffering that is occurring on our planet.  Jesus suffered for us and is certainly acquainted with the depths of what we suffer - and even in the midst of desperate times, He has come to bring hope to people - through the awareness of that hope, spread by those sent all around the world, people are coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. 

One of the ways in which our Savior can be seen is through the devotion of His people.  While you have some who chide Christianity for any number of reasons, including disagreements over or opposition to the teachings of God's Word, people can certainly be drawn to the Lord by the display of the love of His people.  The Church is a force for good in this world and we can continue to look for ways in which the Lord can use us to spread His compassion.