Luke 12:11-12 "When
you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about
how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit
will teach you at that time what you should say."
We
don’t really know what religious persecution actually is in Western Society. We
tend to exaggerate the unpopularity of our Christian beliefs into something
that isn’t true. We are not being physically attacked, imprisoned unjustly, or
tortured for our allegiance to Christ. In fact, most of society totally ignores
us; we’re no longer relevant and most people pay no attention to our whines and
complaints.
Now
this isn’t true in other places, nations, and societies around the world. Christian people are being beaten,
imprisoned, oppressed, and killed for their beliefs. They are being
persecuted; for instance, Pastor Youcef
Nadarkhani in Iran has spent years in prison for refusing to teach his
children the Islamic faith. He’s been sentenced to death, but when the rest of
the world protested, his sentence was reviewed. He’s still in prison, on the
equivalent of Iran’s Death Row. His lawyer is now also in prison and new
charges of rape, insurrection, and high treason have been made against Pastor
Youcef. He’s enduring real persecution, so when I read about Christians over
here in the United States getting really upset about the banning of prayer in
schools, displaying the Ten Commandments, or marketplace nativity scenes in
malls, I really wonder what Pastor Youcef would have to say. He’d probably
shake his head in disbelief and state something like “Get real, people. This is not
persecution.”
If
we as Christians want to become influential again in society, then we have to
stop whining. After all, who would be attracted to a faith community that just
wanted to get its own way all of the time? We seem to forget that the symbol of
our faith is a wooden cross and not a silver spoon.
Question for personal reflection
Are my ways
Christ’s ways? Do I cheerfully express my faith to others, or do I forcefully
impose it on others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach us the difference
between paranoia and persecution. Give us a passion to express our faith
through works of compassion. Keep us from turning minor inconveniences into
major upsets. Help us to win souls for Your Kingdom instead of selfishly whining
about the world. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If
you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Today’s
image is a photo of Pastor Youcef. Please continue to pray for his release, as
well as for the safety of his family and friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment