Stormy Days Ahead ...

Monday, July 14, 2014. Often, people take the bible as a source of inspiration. They search for encouraging or nice parts, and hope to get encouragement for what ever they try to do. But the biblical words want to be much deeper and much more sincere teaching about life as it is, day by day. And it is not only for the nice hours, but for all the conflicts of life as well.

Facing Hatred …

One of the key experiences which Jesus made was that he had to face ignorance and hatred. His unique role and his claims made people being upset and full of anger towards him. Aggressions were culminating! And Jesus clarifies, that this also applies to the people who follow him:

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,3 but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15, 18-27)

Preaching peace …

It is the mission of Christians to preach peace, truth, love and understanding. But it is possible that they face all different kinds of wars, lies, hatred and non-understanding. Today, the Christian community is strongly under pressure in a significant part of the world - facing religious wars of all kind. As Christian believer in many countries you face persecution and suppression.

On the other side, there are those who use the name of Christ to lead their own wars. Christianity as a name is misused and secularized - in a part of the developed world. But there is a lot of faith still alife and growing - people who love the Lord with their heart, those who search peace and forgiveness, who stay with the words of Jesus in a calm and sincere manner.

With all of this, there are stormy days behind us - and stormy days ahead. Let us pray that the Lord gives us a path through all of it - a path of peace, where we can live the original faith in the living God, in father, son and holy spirit! The Christian community has always grown in stormy times - it has been pushed to go back to its core, to Jesus himself, and to his words and his presence. So it is, today and tomorrow. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts