Several hundred years later, Syrian
Christians migrated to the area, and there met Christians from
Thomas’ community. They joined together and adopted the
orthodox rites and liturgies of the Syrian Church of Antioch.
Since the 4th Century, a number of denominations have formed
from this base, including the Jacobite Church of Mary’s
faith.
Without Christ, a life of mistakes
Her family’s religious roots ran deep. Yet Mary never felt
a connection to Christ, and turned completely away from Him when
times were hard, she says.
“I married a nice man, and had a beautiful baby girl,” she
explains. “But when my daughter was not yet three, my husband
died. I did not know what to do, and after that my life was full
of mistakes.”
For years, Mary worked as a prostitute to support her child.
But, when her child, too, died in a tragic accident, she was
devastated. Suicide seemed the only way to end her grief and
despair, she decided. But God intervened and sent Brother Benny,
a Bible League-trained Christian.
Like the Samaritan woman
“He came to my house to share a Bible study with me, and
the story of the Samaritan woman really touched me,” Mary
recalls. “My life was similar to hers, and she understood
that Jesus had forgiven her sins. So I decided to commit my life
to the Lord and study His Word more deeply.”
Now Mary knows that the Lord is always with her, and she feels
great joy. “And I am sharing this joy of the Gospel with
everybody!” she rejoices. |
