How slippery is the much feared slope towards active persecution?
How fat is the wedge of which this may be the thin end?
And all the while, Christians in Nigeria, India, Iran, China, and elsewhere are being locked up, beaten and killed.
And at a local level, many ordinary British Christians may wonder whether they are free to express their faith in the living God in their work place.
How should we face these challenges?
When Jesus was preparing his followers for the troubles that may come their way, he said some quite startling things. 'You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.' (Mark 13.9-13)
For the first 300 years of the Christian story, persecution of Christians was like the tides, coming in and going out with relentless regularity. In time, after the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as the preferred faith of the state, everything changed. Suddenly, Christians were protected by the state, and in due course Europe was Christianised. As a consequence, Christians have often believed themselves to be a protected species, with special rights and privileges. It seems to me that we seem to have forgotten that we follow a crucified messiah, and that suffering for the Name of Christ is one of our highest privileges.
It may be tougher to be a devoted follower of Jesus these days, but fearlessly living for the glory of Jesus will point others to seek him.
Best wishes,
Richard
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