The Six-Foot Wide Church

Persecution.
We all have images that come to mind when we learn that someone is experiencing persecution. Our imagery may not match, but the shared ideas overlap. The truth is that no one reading this story has likely experienced REAL persecution. Suffering, pain, and loss of freedom all spawn what we have learned from our teachers.  We all have moments when we don’t get what others seem to receive. This is a story about a new persecution that I had never imagined until this morning.
Imagine going to church, but you can’t sit on a bench or a chair with anyone because the church is only 6 feet wide.  While you are at it, imagine that there are no chairs, either.
Today, I had the pastor of a small, underground church on a video call, and I asked him what he needed. I told him that I was connected to a small church in North Carolina with a history of helping. He took no time to answer me. Here is the summary of our conversation.
“Jeff, Sir, the answer is Land. We need land.”
I pause before rejecting him.  With compassion, I answer him.
“Land in Nepal is more expensive than in the United States. I am sure we can’t help with that.”
He pauses before speaking.
“Jeff, Sir, you don’t understand. Look.” He tells me to wait as he sends me a photo of his church. I receive it and open the image. I look back and forth between the pastor on video and the picture of his church, at a loss for what to say. The photo was taken at the back of the church, facing forward. No matter how many times I look at it, I can’t comprehend this is a church.

The pastor saves me from the awkwardness by telling a story.
“Today, this is our church. We meet in a small parcel of land adjacent to someone’s home, but we only have six linear feet of property.” He actually used a Nepali unit of measure; I have converted it for this story.
I look again. The church is perhaps 50 feet long, but his estimate of the width appears accurate.
“You are right. I can’t understand your dilemma.” He doesn’t hesitate to continue his story.
“There is more of my story. Here is a picture of our congregation. Most people are women and children. That is also a problem.”

There are nearly no men in any of the photos he sends me. His church lacks united family units. In the Deep South, we take a two-parent family attending church for granted.
“You have few men, ” he smiles at my comment. I feel stupid, but I feel empowered to help his church.
“I have some Nepali knives I can sell. I will send you the money.” I hope my money helps, but the answer for his group won’t come from money. He needs a new place to meet, and he needs men to step up as the heads of their households. The conversation goes flat, as neither of us know what to say.
My mind shifts to all the women and children in the church images.  The story gets closer to home with his closing words.
“But we have hope.  We can still dance,” he says.

He sends me a video of his congregation dancing in the 6-foot-wide space. I watch it and smile. In the Sermon on the Mount, God says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Based on how they looked when they were dancing during church, they certainly acted like they were near heaven.

In the Protestant churches in the USA, people don’t look this happy, nor do they dance.  My mind is caught up in unchallenged positions about right and wrong in church.  Hope has lost its ability to override perceived persecution.  Narrowness may be their physical condition, but they certainly have not done that with scripture.

I trust this guy.  His wife traveled with me to the Annapurna Sanctuary in the high Himalayas last year, and I know her character to be excellent. Certainly, I will sell the knives and get him the money, but my heart was too full of sadness to do anything more than pray. I can’t tell you the man’s name, nor much else, as he will experience additional persecution if his identity gets into the wrong hands. For now, though, please pray for this little church. Please learn from this little church while you are at it.

Let me know if you want to buy a Nepali Gurkha soldier knife.  100% of your money goes to this church.  They are for sale for whatever you want to pay for them.