Still Places...
A reading for Thursday, February 11, 2016: Mark 8:31-38.
There are still places in the world today where professing to be a follower of Jesus Christ will get us killed. There is still an extremism and intolerance that takes innocent life in the name of their cause. There are still people that believe they have the right to kill people, even women and children, even the homeless, in order to make their political point. When we live each day in the freedom and safety of the United States it is sometimes hard to imagine such places, but sadly they still exist.
Jesus knew of such places, personally. Jesus experienced all the cruelty that humanity can deliver. Our Lord endured great suffering, and was killed by those that took innocent life in the name of their cause. When we live each day in the freedom and safety of the United States, how can we imagine the suffering and the meaning of the cross?
Perhaps the only way is to align ourselves with those that suffer the fate similar to that of the cross? Maybe we hear their stories and their plea? Can we allow our own comfort and safety to be placed at risk in order to identify with those that suffer the fate of our Lord? It's hard to imagine our world still tolerates places where to be a follower of Jesus Christ can get us killed, and yet it does...
Jesus said, "For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Today we pray for all those disciples of Jesus in danger of harm because of their faith.
There are still places in the world today where professing to be a follower of Jesus Christ will get us killed. There is still an extremism and intolerance that takes innocent life in the name of their cause. There are still people that believe they have the right to kill people, even women and children, even the homeless, in order to make their political point. When we live each day in the freedom and safety of the United States it is sometimes hard to imagine such places, but sadly they still exist.
Jesus knew of such places, personally. Jesus experienced all the cruelty that humanity can deliver. Our Lord endured great suffering, and was killed by those that took innocent life in the name of their cause. When we live each day in the freedom and safety of the United States, how can we imagine the suffering and the meaning of the cross?
Perhaps the only way is to align ourselves with those that suffer the fate similar to that of the cross? Maybe we hear their stories and their plea? Can we allow our own comfort and safety to be placed at risk in order to identify with those that suffer the fate of our Lord? It's hard to imagine our world still tolerates places where to be a follower of Jesus Christ can get us killed, and yet it does...
Jesus said, "For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Today we pray for all those disciples of Jesus in danger of harm because of their faith.
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