The Paradox
There is a paradox at the heart of our faith. It is
suffering and martyrdom. Jesus of course was the prime example. He suffered, he
died. And because he suffered and died many, many more came (and come and will
come) to faith. Jesus encapsulated the principle in the image of the seed. It
must die. Only then will it bear fruit. Reading the book of Revelation. Written
by a particular person (John) to a particular group of churches (Ephesus, etc)
at a particular time (when Domitian was emperor) for a particular purpose. That
particular purpose was not of course to map out the end of the world. The seven
churches had far more pressing concerns: Persecution and martyrdom. The purpose
of the book (which is in fact a letter) is to keep the Church/churches strong
and faithful under persecution and, for some, martyrdom. The paradox is this:
the more persecution there is and the more martyrdom there is, then the more
the church grows. The more Christians the enemy bumps off, the more people
convert and become Christians. Doesn’t make sense, but that is the witness of
the Scriptures and the witness of church history.
Am I a prat?
And so we embrace persecution. Well, yes and no. If I
am going to be persecuted let it be because I am following Jesus faithfully and
not because I’m a prat. So often it seems, someone is a right prat, as a result
they get picked on or singled out for retaliation – and the prat claims he is being
persecuted for following Jesus. Nope. You are being persecuted for being a
right prat. Not that it’s that simple. Behaviour that you define as following Jesus faithfully I may define
as being a right prat. And who am I
to judge?
Praying for the persecuted
When persecution does come: when the persecuted church
asks for prayer they emphatically do not ask that the suffering will go away,
but rather for strength and faithfulness, boldness and courage, in the face of
the persecution. Very much in line with Revelation.
Follow Jesus faithfully
Here in Finland (or Britain or any other part of
Western Europe) I do not face persecution. So who am I to reflect and write on
it? I should not go looking for persecution. I should simply make it my goal to
follow Jesus faithfully. Follow him where? That’s the point. The Spirit of God
blows wherever he fancies. He blows some into turbulent waters where the storms
of persecution are raging. He blows others into stagnant back waters where
nothing is happening. But let’s not get fatalistic in our metaphors: I do have
a sail on my boat, or oars, or even maybe an outboard motor. If I’m in the
stagnant back waters perhaps I need to make some effort to get to be where the
action is, to join in what God is doing.
But that’s not the same as looking for persecution. God does not invite us to
look for persecution. On the other hand, if I am a citizen of a country where
it is illegal to change one’s faith, and the Spirit of God gives me a dream in
which I see the Risen Jesus inviting me to follow him – then if I am obedient
to Jesus persecution is likely to come.
Partnership with the Spirit
What is my role as an outsider? I cannot conduct
myself in such a way that others might lose their lives. That is, I cannot
encourage people to change their faith if that will result in them suffering
persecution or martyrdom. What was that statement from the WCC, etc, document? Christians affirm that while it is their
responsibility to witness to Christ, conversion is ultimately the work of the
Holy Spirit. I witness. The Holy Spirit converts. Jesus said, “I will build
my church.” He also said, “Go and make disciples.” I do not build or plant
churches. I do not convert or seek to convert. I faithfully witness to Jesus –
primarily through my lifestyle, but words may sometimes also be helpful; and I
involve myself in making disciples. I do this knowing that the Spirit is at
work, changing people’s hearts and that Jesus is at work, building his church.
Michael
