Rethinking the Rough Times
I was visiting with a husband this week who came to see me with his wife. He is from Iran and would like to be baptized. He said his parents, who still live in Iran, have been living as Christians for 40 years. He wants the baptism to be private, for the sake of protecting his family who might be threatened, harassed or persecuted for his profession of faith. That led to a discussion about how relatively easy it is to be a Christian in the U.S. There is not much in way of martyrdom going on here! If I want to go to church, I go to church. If I want to read my Bible at the coffee shop, I do so. If I want to talk about my beliefs openly, I may get a few rolled eyes or silent stares, but I certainly don't run the risk of losing my life over it. Does this mean I am not having an authentic Christian experience? Today I was reading one of my favorite theologians, Henri Nouwen. He wrote, "Sometimes we have to dare to be fools for Christ." And then he went on to unpack