If I was...

I don't remember if it was Eddie Murphy or Richard Pryor who was saying this, but for some reason it crossed my mind today. They were joking about blacks they knew who would boast about how things would be different if they had been alive during slavery. It was funny how they mentioned how these particular individuals would proudly proclaim what they would do to the slave master and how they would act if somebody tried to make them a slave. The funny part was how the comedian said these people boastfully proclaim, "Yeah, if I was alive back then, I would have taught them a thing or two!" But the comedian went on to joke how they wouldn't be doing much talking after they were struck by that whip (paraphrase)! Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to minimize the horror of slavery or trivialize the lives lost and havoc wreaked on an entire race of people and their culture. After all, this is my history I am talking about as well. I only bring this subject up to make the point of how, in our human pride we can easily think that if only we had been alive during some period of time things would have been different. There are Christians that seem to have a similar view about our Christian heritage. They look back on the first century church with a sort of nostalgia and admiration as though they would have loved to been alive during that time. I can understand their views to a point. It would be nice to have been an eyewitness to the great events that fill the pages of Scripture. But, if I may be so bold, I would have only wanted to observe them apart from actually having to live during those times.

"Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." 2 Corinthians 11: 23-28

You know what? Paul sounds like he was a slave here in this passage. In fact, he was a slave of Christ. How many people today would even be able to stand one of the trials that Paul went through during his journeys to proclaim the message of Christ? Trust me, I am not putting Paul on some sort of pedestal as if he is any better than any Christian alive today. But, for many of us, especially here in the United States, our suffering pales in comparison to what Paul, and other Christians, endured and still endure today. Just like a slave, Paul didn't know if he would even make it another day to proclaim the Gospel message or if he would have something to eat, a roof over his head, clothes on his back or be in one piece. I know when I look at what he endured, I wonder if I would have been able to persevere like he had to do. It is easy to pull out cliched answers, platitudes and scripture verses like, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," but that is easier said than done. We forget that Paul wrote these passages during and after he suffered for Christ, not before. We don't hear about it enough, but the experiences of Paul, unfortunately, are not isolated to him or the early Church. To this day, all over the world, Christians are suffering terribly for their faith. One mistake we can make is to be naive enough to believe that our experience is the experience. The signs are there that are a prelude to the possible suffering we may face. The Bible and prayer has already been removed from schools. Public proclamations of faith like Nativity Scenes and saying Merry Christmas are being outlawed. Anything deemed Christian is slowly being taken away. How long will it be before we have first hand knowledge of what the Paul's of the world face?

"Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Hebrews 11: 35-40

The first part of Hebrews 11 talks about those who stood tall for the faith and received some form of earthly reward for their efforts. However, none of that is guaranteed. In fact, we are much more likely to be treated the ways in which our brethren above were treated as described in the latter portion of the chapter. But, the one thing that all these Christians have in common is that they were commended for their faith and all of them received the Heavenly reward of eternal life. As a citizen of the United States, I am blessed to live in a country that, for the most part, has been accommodating to my faith thoughout my lifetime. That is something pretty much unique in this world today. Religious freedom for Christians is at a premium. Much of the world is intolerant of the message of Jesus Christ just as scripture warned us it would be. Therefore, we should not be surprised of the animosity that follows those who name the Name of Christ. There probably won't come a time when those described by Murphy or Pryor will have the Chance to put their words into action. The chance of slavery being reinstituted is slim and none. However, if a Christian makes a similar boast about how they believe they would have behaved in the first century, when faced with the sufferings of Paul, they may get an opportunity to put their money were their mouth is. But, should that time come, take heart in those who have come before us and stood tall for the faith. Regardless of what awaits us down here, God has planned something better for us.