Scripture: Acts 12:1-4
About that time King Herod began to harass some who belonged to the church. He had James, John’s brother, killed with a sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter as well. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. He put Peter in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers, sixteen in all, who guarded him. He planned to charge him publicly after the Passover.
Thought for the Day: Christianity has known persecution; followers of Jesus have known great suffering at the hands of those who opposed them; preachers of the Gospel have lost their lives for simply proclaiming love. As a side note, we need to remember that a great deal of persecution and killing was done internally as one Christian group didn’t get along with another group. This seems so strange as we were a movement born out of suffering, yet we tend to have a short memory. The earliest followers of Jesus experienced periods of excessive persecution, and Apostles and other leaders were arrested and many were executed. Not to glamorize it or wish for it, but persecution was most often a sign of the church being faithful to the Gospel. Those of us in the United States do not have a clue what religious persecution looks like. I hear an occasional complaint where a Christian felt as if his/her foot was stepped on, but to use the word persecution is insulting to the amazing witnesses of the past. There is, of course, religious persecution around the globe, and we must always stand for true freedom for every faith group and tradition. Let us also remember our history, be mindful of the faithfulness of those who refused to give in to threats, and let us never forget how the Gospel is rooted in love that was made real in sacrifice.
Prayer: May everyone have the freedom to choose their faith or to choose a path without faith. Whatever the case, may I not judge, but love as you taught me to love, O Lord. It is only when people are given freedom to say, “No” to the faith that a relationship with Jesus is possible. It is in his name that I pray. Amen.
