Tuesday, April 1, 2008
“Would you die for your faith?”
The question is posed as 15 or so Concordia students dressed as guards rush in yelling and have us pinned against a wall facing the dull pale paint that covers it. My body shakes and my heart is pounding as tears fill my eyes. The room is pitch black with only the fast motion of flashlights being shined in our eyes. The lights go out. It’s completely dark. The sound of heavy and anxious breathing fills the room.
“Would you die for your faith?”
The question rings in my ears and my heart lies heavy in my chest. The past 15 minutes it took to get to this room seems like hours ago. With the anxiety of turning every corner my heartbeat raced and with ever encounter of guards and every encounter of one more person being taken and killed, my breaths get shorter.
This feels so real.
Our leader risks his own life for us. He distracts the guards; beaten for having a bible in his backpack all so that we could sneak into the room where in community we could have a bible study with fellow Christians who are dealing with the same secret.
“Are any of you Christians?”
Silence.
A woman, who said nothing at all, is taken first. She didn’t even admit to it. Killed. Just because of suspicion.
They surround us, and our leader tells us to run. A man, in the wrong place, is taken second. Killed. Because that’s who they caught.
“Would you die for your faith?”
It’s so easy here. I can stand and praise my God anytime I wish. I can raise my hands in the middle of a crowd and yell at the top of my lungs, “PRAISE THE LORD!” I can have 5 bibles laying across my desk with my door wide open and nothing happen to me.
It’s so easy here.
And I take it for granted.
There are people in other countries suffering from persecution, real persecution, that are dying for their faith, literally, and all they want to do is have the liberty to read their bible. Hold their bible in their hand. I haven’t opened my bible in over 3 weeks.
Would I go through the measures to read my bible every week the way I did tonight? Would I deny Jesus if a real gun was to my head? Would I die for my faith? Would I find a way to be joyful in persecution? How would Mormons react to a mock persecution?
This was only a fraction of what it is like for other brothers and sisters across the world. A huge question has been asked tonight and has made me question what I am truly living for and how much a priority Jesus is in my life. I am so excited about loving people. I am so excited for the great liberty I have to tell people about my God who is mighty to save. I encourage you to take some time out. Right now. And thank God for all He is. I stand speechless. I stand ashamed. I stand selfish. I stand loved. By a God who forgives me. I needed this tonight. I needed God to put in perspective all that I have in Him and all that needs to be stripped away from me. I honestly don’t know the answer to the question. But I do know that my relationship is going to start being intentional. Intentional on growing, on outreaching, on loving, on living for a God; living for a Savior who is worth dying for.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
WOULD YOU DIE FOR YOUR FAITH?