That Builds Things

As the kingdom of Christ is established and rooted in any given place, the only way this can happen is by displacing what was there before. Sometimes that previous regime is old and decrepit, and is ready to relinquish its hold. These are tribes, nations and kingdoms ready for conversion, eager for something different. Other times the older way of doing things still has a lot of kick. They don’t want to go quietly. This is the source of long and savage persecutions.

An example of the latter would be the Roman Empire under the reign of Domitian. An example of the former would be that same empire under the reign of Constantine. There will be resistance in both cases, but the situations are entirely different.

Another factor can be found in the attitude of the Christians. If Christians have come to believe that their only role is to figure out how to “fit in,” then they will always try to negotiate and “settle” whenever it looks like trouble. Sometimes we think the regime is fiercely resisting when it is only us being fiercely timid. There is a certain kind of Christian mind that always gives credence of some sort to the slanderous accusations made against the Christians, and pleads with everyone to try to improve our testimony with those outside.

But one of the central characteristics of a growing Christian community is boldness, as can be seen throughout the book of Acts. Confident groups displace uncertain ones, and if the devil cannot restore the confidence of late-modern secularism, he will try to settle for tempting the Christians to join them in timidity.

There are temptations that accompany boldness (such as pride and an unwillingness to be entreated), but they are not addressed by giving way to all the temptations that come out of a flaccid faith.

This means that we should want to continue to be the kind of community that builds things.