Called to the Firing Line: Could I Stand?

I've never been persecuted for the cause of Christ, not in comparison to martyrdom or imprisonment. Not in comparison to someone who's been fired from their job, or not hired at all, because of their faith or moral stance. So I wonder, could I stand? Would I stand for my faith?

I sat on the hard wooden pew, my legs too short for my feet to touch the floor in their white ankle socks and black patent leather shoes. My hair was a halo of blonde curls from the pin curls Mama had put in my hair the night before after my Saturday evening bath. The dress Mama had sewn for me to wear to church was too fussy and itchy for my liking, so I kept wiggling my shoulders against the back of the pew, trying to scratch the the irritating lace. In my hands I clutched a little Gideon New Testament given by an older sibling, since I was too young to even read.

This is just a test

Suddenly, the back door of the little sanctuary swung open and in marched armed military men in full uniform. They went from pew to pew, demanding we all relinquish our Bibles. I was sitting right next to the center aisle. When one of the men got to me and gruffly demanded my Bible, I looked up at him, took my Bible, and sat on it, refusing to relinquish it.

I've never been persecuted for the cause of Christ, not really -- not in comparison to the Ethiopian martyrs killed in Libya last week, not in comparison to a friend who was imprisoned for his faith when he lived in eastern Europe under communism, not in comparison to someone who's been fired from their job, or not hired at all, because of their faith or moral stance.

But the story above about me is true. Evidently the Cold War fear of communism spurred this over-the-top sermon illustration in the little church up the street from my childhood home. No one told me that the whole thing wasn't real.

All I knew was two things, I loved Jesus, and that little Bible was precious. Of course, I didn't know how to read it, so I hadn't fallen in love with the actual words yet. My knowledge of its contents was limited to flannel-graph stories I'd heard in Sunday School. But the Bible was treated with a special reverence in our house. You didn't set the Bible on the floor, you didn't set other books or items on top of the Bible. The Bible was holy and you were expected to treat it as such.

Stand up

Somehow, on that long ago Sunday morning, I had a fundamental knowledge not to deny Jesus. Had my parents taught me this? Was the message ingrained in me from the songs we sang back in the day, songs with words like, "Stand up! Stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the Cross!"? Was it the Holy Spirit living in me that gave me that kind of courage? Most likely it was a combination of all of the above. All I know is that it was totally against the nature of that shy, overly-sensitive little girl to stand up to someone older, bigger and stronger than her.

When I think now about the spreading persecution of Christians around the world, I wonder if I could, if I would, stand true and refuse to deny Jesus no matter what. Remembering that little girl gives me hope, gives me courage that if and when the time comes, by God's grace I will.

This post originally appeared at Elizabeth Stewart's blog, Just Following Jesus.

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Called to the Firing Line

Finding your purpose and being sure of your calling or vocation is often an exciting experience. Knowing that your gifts and passions and vision are falling into alignment offers a deep sense of satisfaction. But living into your purpose, your calling, or your vocation may sometimes mean coming up against opposition, and sometimes, that opposition can be particularly unkind, fierce, and even dangerous. What can we learn from people who have stood strong, even in the face of the worst kinds of opposition? For some of us, being Called to the Firing Line may mean standing up for our beliefs, even if it means losing our job, our home, our reputation, our comfort. In this theme, we'll explore the motivation behind these choices and how to find what it takes to endure some of life's most difficult callings.