Afghanistan & the American church
I have no earthly understanding of what it means to be marked for death because of my faith, and then to turn around and risk my life and continue to gather anyway knowing it could be the last time? Man. Now, I’m not saying there aren’t legitimate struggles here in America, but what’s going on in the world today puts things into, what I think, is some needed and helpful perspective for us. Christians are being targeted, hunted and murdered on this planet. Today.
When it comes to church and faith commitment, many of us, myself included, are mostly governed by minor inconveniences, wavering feelings, boredom/entertainment and what we feel we deserve while we live, argue, bicker, and compare our trials with one another from a level of blessing and comfort that the world has never seen until recently. At the same exact time, many brothers and sisters around the world fully expect to meet Jesus any day now - leaning into that reality with courage, instead of away from it. Many of them won’t abandon the church for anything, even the threat of death. It’s mind blowing. It begs for reflection, and perhaps, recalibration.
My main takeaway today is that church is not about us. It’s fully and truly about Christ. Many of these Christians know that, otherwise they’d abandon it to maintain their lives, yet they continue to gather knowing what’s coming for them. Our involvement is not a matter of convenience, but of deep conviction because the Bible is the sole truth of the universe. Doctrinally, it’s an absolute must to love and be in fellowship with other Christians, and even the threat of death should not come close to stopping that. The cross is our salvation, the Word is our foundation, and the church is our location.
So, my challenge and encouragement is this:
+ Don’t let the news, fear, politics, or preferences stop you from attending and serving in a Bible believing and teaching church this Sunday.
+ Don’t just slip in and slip out. Be known and know others. Care for them, and let yourself be cared for. Submit to the authority of scripture and of the spiritual leadership in a solid church.
+ Let your preferences be second or even third. If the music isn’t your preference, or the carpet is dated, or the coffee is gross…commit anyway! Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill you with affection for the church you’re in. The truly good stuff is not found in the container of the church (the building, lights, cafe, etc), it’s the teaching of the Word, the gathering of the saints, the baptism of new believers, the worship of God in one voice, and the relationships with the body of Christ. That other stuff is just an added blessing - don’t make that number one.
I’m convicted and inspired by the faith and love for Christ’s church of Christian brothers and sisters in grave turmoil of whom I’ve never met, but hope to some day. I’m convicted about my preoccupation with comfort, and even though we should absolutely take a stand for righteousness and fight evil from taking over, I wonder how evil taking over despite our stand would impact our faith in God. Is my faith in God based on truth or comfort? Time will certainly tell. If it ever comes to the sword for me, I pray that I have the boldness and fortitude and belief that they do, and not just a soft commitment to that dissolves quickly under the slightest amount pressure.
