In many parts of the world being an active, open follower of the teaching of Christ is not only punishable by death, it is BEING punished by death. For our loved ones in jails and prisons, being "too Christian" has its own challenges and risks, for some even the risk of death. Yet in such circumstances followers of Christ find the risks well worth the rewards and rely on this writing from the New Testament:
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ... But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loved us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created. Romans 8:35, 37-39
But in the USA, for all the whining we Christians do about wanting things to be "more Christian" (however we define that) we really are easily distracted from allowing our "Christian faith" to make deep and noticeable differences that make us easy to identify in our social set or among our colleagues or in political or community meetings. I'm not talking about what we SAY, but what we DO. So our perceived freedom has too often been little more than a talking point rather than the radical faith demonstrated by men and women behind prison bars.
What separates you from a more complete dependence on God? What shades you from being God's light to the World? What gets in the way of passionately seeking God's purpose in your life?
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ... But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loved us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created. Romans 8:35, 37-39
But in the USA, for all the whining we Christians do about wanting things to be "more Christian" (however we define that) we really are easily distracted from allowing our "Christian faith" to make deep and noticeable differences that make us easy to identify in our social set or among our colleagues or in political or community meetings. I'm not talking about what we SAY, but what we DO. So our perceived freedom has too often been little more than a talking point rather than the radical faith demonstrated by men and women behind prison bars.
What separates you from a more complete dependence on God? What shades you from being God's light to the World? What gets in the way of passionately seeking God's purpose in your life?
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