The Value of Nothing
Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, is the International Day of Prayer for persecuted Christians. So often we forget about our brothers and sisters who stand as bold witnesses in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ. Hebrews 13:3 tells us to “remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”
I think of the Nigeran church who is experiencing a “genocide” right now. Christians are being hunted and killed by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram. Some estimate that over 7000 Christians have been killed in 2025 alone. China has launched a major crackdown on the country's Christians this week ahead of Chinese president Xi and President Trump's meeting.
All over the world, right now, our brothers and sisters are being abducted, marginalized, persecuted, killed and their churches and communities destroyed. These people truly understand what it means to “carry their cross.” I would encourage you to pray for them not only on Sunday, but throughout the month of November. In fact, we should constantly be in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted all over the world.
My mentor, in my twenties, was a man that experienced persecution from the Communist party in Romania. For years, he was imprisoned, tortured and severely beaten for his faith alongside Richard Wurmbrand. From time to time, he would recall the horrors that he endured, some which still had lasting effects on his psyche and body. There is one powerful story that I’ll never forget surrounding communion. (As a church we will take communion this Sunday) While imprisoned with many other Christians their faith would be weak and often wane. They desperately needed some spiritual encouragement, so they decided to take communion with “nothing.” No church, no bibles, no pews, no music, no juice or crackers—just through faith. My mentor said it was the "most impactful spiritual experience" he ever had. It was a profound story indeed.
In fact, Richard Wurmbrand wrote about it, and his article was published in September 2025, Voice of the Martyrs magazine. (Vol. 59 No.9) Be encouraged as you read…
“Years of prison passed. We were very hungry for food, for love. Nobody ever smiled, helped us, or spoke nice words. We were hungry for the printed page, we were hungry for the face of a human, and we were hungry for one more thing — Holy Communion.
But how were we to take Holy Communion? We were alone in our cells, so we would not gather in fellowship. We did not have even one slice of bread a week, and where would we get wine in a subterranean, Communist prison cell? We had no Bible and no hymn book. We had nothing.
At once we realized that we had something after all, something called “nothing.” Now what is the value of this “nothing”? The Communists had taken our families, houses, furniture, libraries and churches. They had taken our clothing. They had even taken away our names and given us a number.
We had nothing, so in this half-dark prison cell we began to think about the value of “nothing.”
We all loved this world, with its beautiful multicolored butterflies, chirping birds, scented flowers, and laughing children. Then we recalled what God had used to make this beautiful world: He created it out of nothing.
In churches, Holy Communion is taken with bread, bread is made with flour, and flour is made from wheat. Out of what is wheat made? God made it out of nothing. In Holy Communion, churches use wine or grape juice. Wine is made from grape juice, grape juice is made from grapes, and grapes grow on vines. God has made the vines out of nothing. So “nothing” is a very valuable material.
On a Sunday morning, we decided to take Holy Communion with nothing. At a certain moment, we gave a signal through the wall from one end of the corridor to the other. And at the same moment, we took nothing in our hands, and we thanked God for it.
We ate nothing and remembered the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was broken for us.
Now I would commend no church to partake in Holy Communion like this. I believe things in the church should be done exactly as written in the Word of God. The best practices to follow in the church are those of the first Christians, so take Holy Communion as it is written by the first Christians.
Still, we can learn from persecuted Christians who must do otherwise in special circumstances. We should learn from them the value of “nothing.” I believe. The persecuted Christians can help us more than we can help them. We can help them with a few coins or big checks. They can help us with something more than that: They can help us realize the value of “nothing,” the detachment from things of this world and attachment to our heavenly Bridegroom.”
I think of the Nigeran church who is experiencing a “genocide” right now. Christians are being hunted and killed by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram. Some estimate that over 7000 Christians have been killed in 2025 alone. China has launched a major crackdown on the country's Christians this week ahead of Chinese president Xi and President Trump's meeting.
All over the world, right now, our brothers and sisters are being abducted, marginalized, persecuted, killed and their churches and communities destroyed. These people truly understand what it means to “carry their cross.” I would encourage you to pray for them not only on Sunday, but throughout the month of November. In fact, we should constantly be in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted all over the world.
My mentor, in my twenties, was a man that experienced persecution from the Communist party in Romania. For years, he was imprisoned, tortured and severely beaten for his faith alongside Richard Wurmbrand. From time to time, he would recall the horrors that he endured, some which still had lasting effects on his psyche and body. There is one powerful story that I’ll never forget surrounding communion. (As a church we will take communion this Sunday) While imprisoned with many other Christians their faith would be weak and often wane. They desperately needed some spiritual encouragement, so they decided to take communion with “nothing.” No church, no bibles, no pews, no music, no juice or crackers—just through faith. My mentor said it was the "most impactful spiritual experience" he ever had. It was a profound story indeed.
In fact, Richard Wurmbrand wrote about it, and his article was published in September 2025, Voice of the Martyrs magazine. (Vol. 59 No.9) Be encouraged as you read…
“Years of prison passed. We were very hungry for food, for love. Nobody ever smiled, helped us, or spoke nice words. We were hungry for the printed page, we were hungry for the face of a human, and we were hungry for one more thing — Holy Communion.
But how were we to take Holy Communion? We were alone in our cells, so we would not gather in fellowship. We did not have even one slice of bread a week, and where would we get wine in a subterranean, Communist prison cell? We had no Bible and no hymn book. We had nothing.
At once we realized that we had something after all, something called “nothing.” Now what is the value of this “nothing”? The Communists had taken our families, houses, furniture, libraries and churches. They had taken our clothing. They had even taken away our names and given us a number.
We had nothing, so in this half-dark prison cell we began to think about the value of “nothing.”
We all loved this world, with its beautiful multicolored butterflies, chirping birds, scented flowers, and laughing children. Then we recalled what God had used to make this beautiful world: He created it out of nothing.
In churches, Holy Communion is taken with bread, bread is made with flour, and flour is made from wheat. Out of what is wheat made? God made it out of nothing. In Holy Communion, churches use wine or grape juice. Wine is made from grape juice, grape juice is made from grapes, and grapes grow on vines. God has made the vines out of nothing. So “nothing” is a very valuable material.
On a Sunday morning, we decided to take Holy Communion with nothing. At a certain moment, we gave a signal through the wall from one end of the corridor to the other. And at the same moment, we took nothing in our hands, and we thanked God for it.
We ate nothing and remembered the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was broken for us.
Now I would commend no church to partake in Holy Communion like this. I believe things in the church should be done exactly as written in the Word of God. The best practices to follow in the church are those of the first Christians, so take Holy Communion as it is written by the first Christians.
Still, we can learn from persecuted Christians who must do otherwise in special circumstances. We should learn from them the value of “nothing.” I believe. The persecuted Christians can help us more than we can help them. We can help them with a few coins or big checks. They can help us with something more than that: They can help us realize the value of “nothing,” the detachment from things of this world and attachment to our heavenly Bridegroom.”
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