On this date in 1597, a group of early Japanese Christians were killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society. This reminds me of a question I have heard asked many times: ‘If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?’” – and if you put this into Google, you’ll see lots of conversation about this!
What would happen if we were on trial, and all of those we had ever met were were called as witnesses to put forward evidence that we are Christians? What would that look like? Would we be convicted or would the evidence be non-existent? There are still many around the world who continue to be put on trial for their faith , so even if we don’t face this ourselves, can we put ourselves alongside them in much free-er society. I work particularly to encourage people to be ‘whole-life Christians’ in the online space as much as anywhere else: how can we gain the confidence to share this underlying aspect of our life in a way that is natural and relational, rather than pushy?
The other week I was at a preparation session for Spring Harvest later this year, which focuses upon gaining this confidence, where I heard someone remind us that “grace is love when you have nothing to give in return”, so we shouldn’t tickbox the evidence, as Jesus has paid that price. Faith, however, should be transformational, and therefore visible in our lives.
Broadcast on Inspirational Breakfast, Premier Christian Radio
