On a Road Marked with Suffering

ON A ROAD MARKED WITH SUFFERING Living out the gospel in Asia Minor entailed great affliction in Paul’s day, and believers in modern-day Turkey still face considerable persecution and cultural obstacles.

BY DEBBIE MEROFF

Every year thousands of people travel to Turkey to marvel at what remains of the New Testament churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia,Thyatira, and Laodicea.

As remarkable as these ruins are, it is a shame that so many tourists return home without ever experiencing the thrill of meeting God’s living church in Turkey. Although an estimated 3,000 committed Christians may seem like a drop in the ocean when compared to a total population of 73 million, the number is still a significant advance on the 50 or so believers of only two decades ago.

Today’s followers of Christ meet in approximately 100 small fellowships scattered across the land. A large percentage of these men and women were first introduced to the gospel through newspaper advertisements offering free Injils (Bibles) and Bible correspondence courses. To date these Protestant groups are reasonably free of denominational labels, and perhaps half of them are Turkish-led. Some fellowships have gone as far as renting or even purchasing a building that boldly bears the name of their church, despite the occasional pelting of stones or eggs thrown by critics. Five churches have been purpose-built. But many other Christians meet in private homes, constantly changing locations to avoid attracting attention. Believers in one home group in a conservative city in the southeast do not even dare to sing aloud. Instead they confine themselves to quietly repeating the words of their worship songs.

The fact is, in spite of Turkey’s secular constitution and its ambition to join the European Union, the nation boasts an appalling human rights record when it comes to religious minorities.

A wide gap exists between what is legally endorsed and what

Being Turkish and being Muslim are two essential facets to the people’s national identity, as the Turkish flag suggests.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

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TURKEY happens in reality. Istanbul is likely the most lenient city in Turkey when it comes to Christians publicly sharing the gospel.

Although an outreach group was arrested in April 2007 and one man deported, such deportations are relatively rare.

The brutal murders of three Christian men in the city of Malatya that same month, however, captured the attention of the world.Two of the victims, Necati Aydin, 36, a much-loved pastor and father, and Ugur Yuksel, 32, were Turkish converts from Islam.The third man,Tilmann Geske, 46, was a German national involved in translation work. Millions were horrified by the cold-blooded cruelty exhibited by the five young, selfappointed executioners. The Turkish press reported that the assassins admitted during initial interrogations that they were motivated by both “nationalist and religious feelings.” An identical note found in the pockets of each of the young men read: “We did this for our country.” Although many Turks were dismayed by their actions, others feel that the victims “got what they deserved.”

To understand this mentality we must recognize that, to most Turks, being Turkish and being Muslim are two sides of the same coin, two essential facets to the people’s national identity. Yet a veteran Christian worker there observes that “nationalism is much more dangerous in Turkey than religious extremism. Because nationalism is tied to Islam, to the outside world it looks like religious extremism. But if it came down to a choice between Islam and Turkishness, the people would choose Turkishness.”

Pride in all things Turkish is drummed into the Turkish psyche from birth. Red flags with white crescents dominate the landscape, as do statues and giant posters of Mustafa Kemal, “Father of the Turks.” Schoolchildren begin the day by reciting, “I am a Turk....I am ready to sacrifice my existence for the existence of Turkey.” Although Turks themselves may offer criticism about their country, they are affronted if a foreigner should agree with them.

In this climate of extreme nationalism, anything that appears to challenge Turkey’s identity is greeted with hostility. The flames are fanned by inaccurate media reports. Christian missionaries, for instance, have often been accused of using money and other such means to win converts. Turks who embrace Christianity and subsequently seek to spread their faith are viewed as not only disloyal but also dangerous, a threat to national security.

In 2006 several evangelical churches were firebombed, and a Protestant church leader in the city of Adana was severely beaten. As a result, last year’s martyrdoms did not surprise Turkey’s Christians. United in their grief, many church leaders put concerns about their own safety aside to attend the funerals of the three men and to bear witness to the unity of the faith, even though their presence was recorded by cameras.

Turkey’s estimated 3,000 Christians meet in small fellowships scattered across the land, the most obvious of which are targeted by critics. Here a banner boldly announces, “Jesus lives.”

“I am sure God will use the sacrifice of those brothers in the long term,” reflects a pastor whose own life continues to be threatened by extremists. “But I don’t see any great eyeopening here because of it. I am afraid this may only be the beginning of more persecution. God is still laying the foundation for the Turkish church.”

An expatriate worker who has spent many years in this country is convinced that the answer lies in reshaping the image of the church in peoples’ minds. “We should be melting the hearts of the Turks.They have a false picture of Christian missionaries doing crazy things and their converts going over to the foreigners’ camp. We should show the Turkish nation that Christians can be a blessing to the community by getting more involved in things like literacy, English classes, disaster relief, and work with the disabled and orphaned.

“We also need foreign workers devoted to esteeming the fragile Turkish church and helping it to grow. The church is made up of first-generation Christians.Workers need to commit to learning the language and doing what they did back in their home churches, like leading worship or youth work. Young couples are needed to model a Christian marriage. Older people—‘finishers’—are also a fantastic influence. They can serve as team coordinators and provide pastoral care. But the chronic shortage of laborers is very evident. In the long run,

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Turkey must be reached by Turkish believers. If we can train, equip, support, and see the Turkish church mobilized to reach its own country, we will do well.”

How should believers in the rest of the world intercede for Turkey? “Pray that the situation will purify the church, make us stronger and grow,” responds the pastor quoted above.

“It isn’t easy. The questions still come. But part of following Jesus is to suffer for him.”

“If you are paralyzed with fear you won’t do anything,” adds another worker. “Many believers are afraid to witness, even to their own families. There are others who aren’t afraid of anything, and it’s beautiful to see. But they need to

count the cost. Turkish believers have always been portrayed by the media as selling themselves for money. It’s good for people to see that if that were true, they wouldn’t have stayed faithful in times like this. I think we can expect the church to grow. That’s what has happened in times of persecution, throughout history.” ■ Debbie Meroff is an American writer and photographer based in London, England. Over the last 20 years she has reported on the Christian scene in 100 countries. She is the author of six books, including True Grit: Women Taking on the World, For God’s Sake (Authentic Media, 2004), and is a regular contributor to PRISM.

Turkish for Beginners

BY WENDY BILGEN

It can feel impossible for new believers to follow Christ if no one else in their çevre is following him. Many of them decide, as did many of Jesus’ followers when he walked this earth, that his “words are too hard, who can accept them?” (John 6:60).

They don’t say “not true” or “absurd,” but they say “too hard.”

As John wrote in his Gospel (6:66), “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”

But just as the faithful discovered in Jesus’ day, those who decide to risk all and follow him are welcomed into a new çevre called the church, the body of Christ. The Savior’s invitation often means leaving the old çevre with its carefully prescribed ways of living, thinking, and being Turkish. It means leaving the comfort of a fixed identity and role for the unknown and sometimes dangerous identity of a Christian. For some, this is just too hard.

Each time I observe the John 6:66 response to the gospel here in Turkey, I realize that the church has failed to surround a new believer with what they needed most, a çevre. I have a lot to learn about being the body of Christ to Turks. May we love more compassionately, give more generously, and be more fully present to surround new followers. Maybe then we will begin to hear Simon Peter’s response, as recorded in John 6:68, more often: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

We were just settling into our new life as a family in Turkey.

One day our son’s new Turkish friend asked my husband, a Turkish native returning to his homeland to preach the gospel, “Why do you follow Isa?” “Jesus invited me to follow him,” my husband answered.

“His words are true. I couldn’t say no.Why are you a Muslim?”

“My çevre invites me to follow Islam,” the young boy answered. “How can I say no?” Çevre (pronounced “chevre”) is an important word in Turkish life. The literal meaning of the word is something that surrounds and protects, something that marks boundries and sets limits. In Turkish life, it means the circle of friends that make up your community. While in the West community is sometimes considered optional, in Turkey it is difficult to do much of anything without your çevre. It’s the group you depend on to help you get that first job, pay your bills when money is tight, find a mate, even learn how to live with your mate. It’s the group that defines who you are and what you will do in life. Without a çevre you’re on the outside, unprotected and vulnerable.

Turks are taught from infancy the value of staying on the inside and doing what the çevre does. Stepping out can carry a heavy price: rejection, deep confusion, and loneliness. If their çevre rejects them, it may be impossible to find a job or a spouse.

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Built as a church during the Byzantine era (532-537 AD), turned into a mosque in 1453 when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, the Hagia Sophia is Istanbul’s most famous landmark. Although many of its Christian mosaics were eventually plastered over during the transformation, when Islamic features such as four outside minarets were added, some, like this one, have been uncovered and restored to their original beauty.

In 1935, the building was converted into a museum by the Turkish government. Photo by Timur Kulgarin, Shutterstock.

Reconciliation in Ankara

and Christians. Prejudice and hatred fester even between people of different villages. Reconcilation is a healing needed like no other. Through acts of humility, a recognition of our shared brokenness, and an invitiation to the Holy Spirit, God’s power can be displayed.

Over 10 years ago a broad and powerful act of reconciliation took place. A diverse group of Christians launched the Reconciliation Walk (recwalk.net) in an attempt to repair damage caused by the Crusades that began in 1096. Marking the 900th anniversary of the first crusaders setting off for Jerusalem from a cathedral in Cologne, approximately 150 reconciliation walkers left from the same cathedral. At their first stop, a Turkish mosque in Cologne, the leader of the walk explained that they had come to apologize and seek forgiveness for the atrocities committed in the name of Christ during the Crusades. A letter of apology was read in German,Turkish, and English. The reaction was powerful as loud, sustained applause echoed throughout the mosque.According to reports, the Imam said,“When I heard the nature of your message, I was astonished and filled with hope. It is my wish that this project should become a very great success.”

It is also the wish of many Turkish citizens, Muslim, Christian, and otherwise. Having witnessed the reconciliation possible through the presence of the Holy Spirit, I cling to the hope of answered prayer as we await the full effect of reconciliation wash over this land.

I was in a prayer meeting recently where something unexpected happened. Prayer was answered.

We were praying for reconciliation. Each year the US Congress attempts to pass a resolution which would hold Turkey responsible for a genocide. Armenians argue that 1.5 million Armenians were subjected to genocide by the Ottoman Turkish state during World War I. Turkey argues that the Armenian allegations are baseless, as both sides experienced atrocities due to war. Each year any healing that may have taken place between Turks and Armenians in that particular wound is once again torn open as angry commentaries are printed and protests organized. This year we prayed that something new would happen.

Praying with us was a woman of Armenian desent whose grandparents had fled Turkey and resettled in California.

Many years later she heard the radical call of Jesus to go back to her grandparents’ homeland and tell the people of Christ’s love. She’s been at it for 20 years. She’s still here “imploring them on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).

In the prayer meeting that day, first one Turk, then another, prayed, each asking forgiveness for the atrocities their ancestors had committed, contributing to the death and displacement of Armenians almost a century ago. Suddenly two of the Turkish men proceeded to fetch a basin of water and wash the woman’s feet! I was sitting on the floor next to her and some of the cool water splashed onto my fingers. I felt something powerful and refreshing: the gift of reconciliation.

This land is in desperate need of that gift. Out of deeprooted pride and bitterness grows lingering animosity among ethnic Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Greeks, Sunni Muslims, Alevis,

An American citizen,Wendy Bilgen lives in Ankara,Turkey, with her husband and their two teenage sons. A social work instructor, researcher, and private practitioner, in her spare time she writes commentaries about Turkish life.

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