It was a real privilege to be able to host the “Open Doors”
presentation on Wednesday night and while there was only few in numbers, it was
so encouraging to note that six local churches were represented. But for those
of us who attended, we couldn’t help but be impacted by the stark comparison
between what it takes to be a follower of Jesus in many countries where
persecution is real and the ease and freedom we have in this country.
But while we may feel we are the more fortunate ones in this
country because of our freedoms, when it comes to living lives of authentic
faith our brothers and sisters suffering persecution have an understanding or
experience of the Lord that we will never know while we operate with such
“cushy” margins. The essence of what we miss by not being stretched in our
faith journey can be summarised by the excerpt on the back of a book at the
Open Doors stall. The author of this book “tells
the story of being taught by believers in persecution ‘how to follow Jesus, how
to love Jesus, and how to walk with Him day by day.’ We may think that we would rather live like the
world than to do the ‘insane’ things that Jesus asks of us. But are we really
more joyful than those who walk the darkest, craziest paths? What does it mean
if we are not? Is God truly enough?”(The Insanity of God: a True Story of
Faith Resurrected).
There was also a video testimony of a father whose son had
been beheaded by I.S. earlier in the year, who, with seemingly inexplicable
joy, celebrated Easter; the sacrificial death of Christ and the power of the
resurrection, knowing his son had joined in those same sufferings of Christ.
Hearing such stories bring greater clarity and meaning to the words of 1 Peter
4:13, “…rejoice that you participate in
the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is
revealed.”
After hearing such testimonies one is left asking the
question, who is really worst off out of us and them. They experience the
sufferings certainly, but their experience of God is so real and their faith is
so alive. It makes us consider whether all the things we call blessings are
really such a blessing or could they be an impediment to us walking the faith
journey God truly intends. I don’t have any definitive rulings in this regard,
but it is good for us to consider what the really important things in life are,
and ask, will this matter in eternity?
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