On September 2, 2015, news outlets around the world reported a horrible tragedy: the body of three-year-old Alan Kurdi had washed up on a beach near Bodrum, Turkey. Alan’s family of Syrian refugees were trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to a Greek island when their inflatable boat capsized. This tragedy testified to the refugees’ desperation: they chose to risk the harsh sea in a raft to escape the threats of terrorists in their homeland. The accident also reminds us of the long history of shipwrecks in that area.

The Mediterranean Sea was a key part of the apostle Paul’s missionary travels. He tells of being shipwrecked three times and being stranded on the open sea. In Paul’s work of spreading the good news of Jesus, he was also sometimes beaten, pelted with stones, and thrown into prison. That happened because people in some places were hostile to the message of Christ. In addition, there were false teachers who twisted the message of Jesus for their own profit, fame, and power. Sadly, false and corrupt leaders are still doing similar things today.

As Paul (and Jesus) explained, challenges and dangers often go with sharing the good news because the devil is opposed to it. Satan doesn’t want anyone to be saved. But in God’s strength, the good news of Jesus keeps spreading.

Will you help to share it too?