It Begins

It begins. It’s reactionary, a response. First and immediate. Confused Uncertain Angry Outrage Shock Pity Hatred Fear – all felt by all. Victims Perpetrators Witnesses Spectators. It is human. It is what and who we are. To be human.

But I am to be more than human. I am to be more than me. To shake off self. To adorn and to infuse myself with God, with Jesus Christ. And as such and as a follower of Jesus Christ, I was given a great commission – to go tell the Good News, to make disciples, to teach, to live, to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ. I am called to expect persecution, oppression and even death, if it is because of Jesus Christ. That in my time of fear, need, sorrow, pain and strife, to cling to Jesus Christ. To yet still give praise, glory and honour to His Holy Name. To stand firm in and on my faith in Christ. To be anchored in Him.

I write knowing that in a few short days, we will remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I write knowing that Jesus Christ was persecuted and prosecuted upon the false testimony, lies, fear and hatred of man. Yet, from that hatred, fear and zealous melting pot, Jesus Christ plucked a man, a man who led the attacks and arrests, who harassed the followers of Christ, who showed no remorse or pity. Jesus Christ chose this same man who became one of the greatest testimonies to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his name is Paul. If Jesus Christ could reach out and embrace a man who was part of the establishment and machinations that murdered him how can I, how can we now not reach out to our fellow man though he may be a Muslim? By what God given right do we exclude others from the possibility of hearing of Jesus Christ?

We cling to our rights, our freedom, our entitlements, crying foul, gnashing teeth and beating chests when there is an infringement or an attempt to infringe. But if these earthly things are our first port of call then where is God? Have we not made those same things our false gods? If these hinder us in our commission then they must be cast aside. They must be counted as loss in order to gain. To lose my life in the service of the Gospel that I may live eternally. Pain is fleeting. Properties lost. Kings come, Kings go. Money crumbles. Weather changes. God’s love and mercy is not fleeting. God’s kingdom is not lost. Christ the King is coming. God does not change. The God of Adam, Noah, Enoch, Abraham and David is still God today. He is my God. I am his. Whatever I may perceive as loss, is nothing compared to what I gain in my life in Christ Jesus.

There are those who call to banish Islam and those who practice the Islamic faith. To exclude them from our “western civilized world”. To build walls – real and unreal. As followers of Jesus Christ, we cannot seek to exclude anyone, especially to satisfy the need for our own comfort and safety.

I am in no doubt of what is coming to this world, but my -our- duty to the gospel of Christ Jesus comes before every other duty.

Job 2:9–10 Acts 5:41 Romans 8:36 2 Corinthians 11:23 2 Corinthians 4:8–9 2 Timothy 2:12 Hebrews 11:25 Galatians 6:2 1 Peter 2:20 1 Peter 3:13-17 1 Peter 5:10