Egypt (MNN) — Egypt has a chance to remake itself.
The ranks of the Revolutionary Youth Council have done what few
others could do to topple a government: they lit the fuse.
A full year after Egypt's turn at Arab Spring, the revolutionaries have yet to see a
conclusion. Parliament is still being
settled. The military is still in charge. Clashes are still flaring up periodically, and demonstrators are still
gathering to protest the pace of change.
What's interesting is how many believers have been involved
in the demand for revolution from the outset. We spoke with a young man* who's calling himself a Christian "Che
Guevara" for Egypt. Our contacts in Cairo introduced our team to
him hours after he spent the night protesting in tear gas-filled Tahrir
Square.
He has a long family history in the Muslim Brotherhood, but
today he's a Muslim Background Believer (MBB) who has been convicted of
blasphemy and desecration of religion in Egypt. Presently, he serves in higher leadership
circles of the Revolutionary Youth Council and was instrumental to the campaign that launched
the first protests in 2011.
As he watched the election results and saw both the Muslim
Brotherhood and the Salifists taking the majority of seats in the lower House
of Parliament, he knew believers like himself would be looking at a dangerous
time ahead.
His suspicions have proven true. "It's getting worse. In
the past era, human rights used to have an effect. We are entering into an Islamic era in which there
is no joking in it. 'He who has changed his religion: kill him.' So, we could be
the first people to be killed."
That threat caused many Egyptian Christians to flee. However, there are many who can't change their
religion on their ID cards and have no choice but to remain in Egypt. It's a blessing in disguise, though, according
to this young man. Although MBBs wind up being sheltered by their "Muslim"
identity, many use it as cover to effect
change in the name of Christ.
An outspoken philosopher, this young revolutionary came into
contact with a network of other
Christians serving in ministry throughout Egypt. Together, they look to influence their
circles and communities with the Gospel. Contrary to some reports that believers are hunkering down to wait out
the unrest, this group is more vocal
than ever about their faith. "We believe that the salt that is put in
warehouses is not going to be effective. It's just going to go bad."
He goes on to explain that "we are doing a lot of high
level work on Facebook, Twitter, and internet. We are members in the political
parties. We are part of the society, but we carry Jesus." Just as there is a social revolution taking
place in Egypt, so too is there a faith
revolution. "The world cannot be
turned to Christ if you are sitting in your church, closing your doors, sitting
with George, Therese, and all the other Christians and saying, 'The world is for
Jesus.' You have to go out."
This young man knows what it is to put his life on the line
in the name of Christ, to be rejected for his faith, and to be persecuted for
his action on what he believes. That's why
his response came out somewhat atypical when asked how believers could pray. "We don't need you to pray for us. We need
you to do your job in your communities because your communities are the
kitchens (centers of activity and influence) that affect our societies."
In other words, he says if God thought we were worth loving
enough to give His only Son as Savior,
prayer shouldn't be taken lightly. He chides Christians he's come into contact with who use prayer as a
cop-out for Great Commission action. "If they're afraid to do anything —
'Okay, let's pray' — or those who are afraid to do anything, they go and hide
themselves."
Egypt is making history now.
Christians have an opportunity unlike any other time to influence what
happens in their society. This "Che
Guevara" MBB is full of fire to make
a difference in the name of Christ. He,
along with other like-minded Christians, are still going strong, their revolutionary
zeal for real heart-change far from being exhausted.
*Name withheld for security reasons.
