“Even if a terrorist targets the church again, it would be an honour to die for Jesus.”
A Sunday Of Grief
In 2017, Magid was selling palm branches with his family, just outside his church in Alexandria, when an Islamic extremist detonated a bomb near the church gate. Magid and his children survived the blast, but his wife, Hannan, lost her life.
For Magid, it has been a slow process of healing. At first, he found it impossible to move past the trauma of what he had seen.
“It has been a nightmare from the start, and I just don’t wake up from it. After the blast there was smoke and when the smoke faded, I saw my dear wife in a pool of blood.”
Even in his trauma, Magid was focused on Christ.
Image: Magid with his children Yousef and Maryam.
“I tell my children that their mother is in heaven now and that she is doing well. She taught them how to pray.”
A New Outlook
Two years after the bombing, Magid continues to lean on God for strength.
“It’s not easy to take care of two children on my own, but God gives me peace. I try to be like a friend to my children and a mother and father in one. I play with them and we pray together. I try to give them as much love as possible. They should always feel loved.”
Image: Magid and his daughter, walking to the local supermarket.
Magid has quit his previous job and purchased a shop close to home, allowing him to spend more time with his children.
“It helps to visit the monastery where she is buried. We go there twice a month. Being there helps us to feel peaceful; close to God.”
Magid’s daughter, Maryam, is only 8 years old, but she knows the goodness of God.
“I miss my mother a lot, but I know she is with Jesus. My love for God is so big, bigger than the whole world.”
Image: A street in Alexandria, Egypt.
It is clear that the family still mourns the loss of their mother and wife. But this is a family confident in Christ.
“Even if a terrorist targets the church again, it would be an honour to die for Jesus,” Magid declares.
Your Impact
This Palm Sunday, please pray for the persecuted church as persecution against Christians increases in both its probability and severity at Easter.
You can support the persecuted church this Easter by joining One With Them. One With Them is a movement of Christians throughout Australia and New Zealand standing with the persecuted church at Easter by giving one day’s wage and sharing their support on social media.