Out of the Mouth of Babes
“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
If you haven’t seen this video which has gone viral, watch it now here.
Mryiam spotted the famous television reporter when he appeared at the refugee camp housed in a mall in Kurdistan. She followed him around and wouldn’t leave his side as he interviewed to the refugees who had fled ISIS. Mryiam was determined to talk to the reporter. She had a message that she wanted communicated to the world. Finally, her turn came. The reporter could no longer ignore the little girl who held his hand and wanted to speak.
This 10 year old girl living in a strange refugee camp stepped up to the microphone and captured the world’s heart and attention. An unknown displaced refugee Iraqi girl with beautiful eyes and an engaging smile taught the world about faith in Jesus Christ. Amidst the utter destruction of her home, her city, and life as she knew it, Mryiam is joyful, forgiving and hopeful because God had protected her and her family. She harbors no ill will toward her oppressors, the barbarians of ISIS. She asked only for forgiveness for them.
The great irony is that the persecuted Christians throughout history often served as the most powerful witnesses of faith as the true evangelizers. The Second Century Christian Tertullian observed that “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
In the bloody 21st century where Christians are being beheaded, crucified, raped and murdered for their faith, along comes a little Iraqi girl, by the name Mryiam meaning (not surprisingly) Mary, who teaches the world what it means to believe in Jesus Christ. This child speaks with the wisdom and joy of a saint. Her smile, the lilt in her voice, her palpable joy and pure soul are evident despite her status as a refugee who fled from Qaraqorosh, Iraq to avoid the blood thirsty rampage of ISIS.
The 6 1/2 minute video of has been viewed over 10 million times around the world, and has been translated in several languages, including Chinese. Mary of Iraq speaks boldly and lovingly to the world about Jesus Christ, her Christian faith of forgiveness for her persecutors, and profound gratitude to God for protecting her family.
Mryiam has been told that the world is hearing her powerful testimony. She now knows that millions of people around the world have watched the video and are moved by her faith. Now the question remains, is the world listening?
The final gift from Mary of Iraq is her song of praise for God. Her singing voice is as angelic as her smiling eyes. Amid the devastation and terrible suffering of Christians, a voice and message of love, hope and forgiveness surfaces for all the world to hear. A message of Christian joy. For centuries, people have been evangelized by martyrs and those persecuted for their faith. Through their witness and suffering, they speak of the powerful and consoling love of Christ for each one of us, despite the circumstances of our life and death. How miraculous that the new evangelization should appear in the words of a little 10 year old girl banished by terrorists from her home, her school and her Church in the heart of the ancient civilization of Ninevah.
And her name is Mary.
To help Iraqi Christians, go to the Iraqi Christian Relief Council.