The manger scene these days really is the face of Christmas for most people and, perhaps not surprisingly, it is one of the aspects of the season that keeps causing trouble.

Failure to recognize the religious dimensions in the present conflicts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt divorces us from the complex realities of concrete human life.

It is important to view Nigeria’s Middle Belt conflict in the context of Islamic extremism across the Sahel.

As COVID-19 spreads globally, religious minorities are now more exposed and vulnerable.

The violence against Nigerian Christians has recently entered a new, deadlier phase. Unless conditions on the ground change, Nigeria’s Middle Belt Christians face death or expulsion in many areas.

At this moment, another genocide against Christians is silently unfolding in Nigeria.

When the Nigerian government initiated the release of abducted schoolgirls from the terrorist group Boko Haram last February, one of the girls, the only Christian, was left behind because she refused to convert to Islam.

To date, approximately 20,000 people have been killed and at least two million displaced because of the terrorist group.

Christian persecution is as real today as it’s ever been. Our brothers and sisters suffering it need protection and rescue. They also need prayer. The International Day of Prayer is meant to give that to them.