Okay, that was a bad joke. But what persecution do we face? Am I missing something? Is my faith life so watered down that I'm harmless and pretty easy to ignore? Do Christians just culturally blend in now so much that what stands out about me is not my faith but my mode of transportation and NFL fandom?
Monday, January 17, 2011
Persecution
Today's post has me thinking a bit about persecution. I find it odd, and even a bit alarming, that I don't really face any persecution for following Christ. The best examples I can come up with for persecution in my own life are riding my bike and wearing a Bengals cap everywhere. I get teased for both, and one may place me in mortal peril periodically. The bike's pretty safe but there's a lot of Steelers fans out there...
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I think the persecution that Christians face in America today is shame. And it happens in a lot of different ways. For very conservative Christians, they are shamed for being judgmental and prudish. For very liberal Christians, they are shamed for having watered-down beliefs. Christians are shamed for believing in a God that makes no sense. We are shamed for accepting a God who puts rules and regulations on our lives and calls us to a different lifestyle. We are shamed for being different than what the world tells us we should be.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, a lot of this shame comes from other so-called Christians. (Maybe so-called isn't the best word to use, but I can't find a better one currently.) Maybe the true shame of it all, is that so many people don't want to face shame or discomfort that they allow the world to dictate their lives more than Christ.
In some ways, I think persecution in America is a hidden one, and a very dangerous one. It's not as obvious as abuse, prison, or death, but it's one that keeps us from truly living the mandates of Christ. It's like if we truly live like Christ, we'll be lessened in the eyes of the world. And that's enough to keep us from pursuing holiness to its fullness.
These are my thoughts at least. It's a different kind of persecution, but one I believe persists.
Wow, I think you bring out some profound insights, Jonathan! Especially, "persecution in America is a hidden one, and a very dangerous one." I must say I find myself resonating with Tom's point in the post above. But what you said makes me wonder what Paul would say to Christians in various parts of America today. My initial thought would be that he would say, "Stop whining! Get tough! You really don't know persecution. People died for this." But on second thought, I think he would point out that the spirit of entitlement and laziness are demons in disguise. At the same time, he would be calling us to some sort of identification and solidarity with churches across the world who are in direct and immanent persecution. There's too much about that in the NT to say that all we should even think about is our own community.
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