Andrei Rublev [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
“God
so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone
who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16
On Trinity
Sunday, we celebrate our belief in the mystery of God, the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit: One God, three Divine Persons. This belief is what sets
Christianity apart from other religions. We believe that Jesus Christ is both
God and man, fully human and fully divine. This is folly to those who do not
believe, and blasphemy to those who insist on a God who would never condescend
to the level of humanity or submit to death on a cross.
There are many
people of great faith, Jews and Muslims among them, who reject the idea that
Jesus Christ is God. There are even some religions that take the name
“Christian” but do not believe that Jesus Christ is God. Yet this is exactly what
Christianity is all about.
The martyrs of
yesterday died rather than deny Jesus, witnessing to their faith despite
violent persecution. The unlikely Christian martyrs of modern times are still
dying today, all over the world. Construction workers in Libya, schoolchildren
in Pakistan, shoppers in Nigeria, and churchgoers in Egypt are standing strong for
their faith in the face of death at the hands of Islamic persecutors,
witnessing to their unfailing belief in Christ until the very end. They are
very literally asked, with a blade to their throat, to deny Jesus Christ and
they refuse.
Who would have
thought, living in our free country, that we would see such times as these? We
may never be challenged at the threat of death to stand up for Jesus. But we
must stand with and for our persecuted brothers and sisters worldwide. We must
be willing to defend the Name and the Divinity of Jesus Christ and to demand
the protection of the Christians under siege, who in many countries are facing
genocide. Because our God is “a merciful and gracious God,” we must act and
speak with love and mercy, but also with strength, courage, and boldness to
defend our faith against this violent and growing persecution.
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