Some 1,700 years ago, Armenia became the very first nation in history to adopt Christianity as the official religion of the state. That long history is fast disappearing. A photo recently posted by the Christian Emergency Alliance records the last clergy of an ancient monastery, forced to flee from the Azeri advances, which are often accompanied by desecrations of Christian sites by Muslim soldiers.

In ancient times, the Armenians endured a precarious existence, with Rome to the west and Persia to the east. Today, U.S. ally Turkey backs the Muslim Azeri while Moscow has been an unreliable protector of Armenia.

Whatever the causes of this strife, an ancient Christian society sits on the edge of destruction, which means that our prayers and political actions cannot be constrained only by geopolitics.

Pray to God for our brothers and sisters, and appeal to our political representatives for their relief.

For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org