2000 years on, history repeats itself

 Imagine the scene. You're walking down the streets of Ephesus one day in the 1st century AD. You see a group of people gathered in the street. The group is growing larger by the minute. They're muttering and talking to each other, some are shaking their heads and others look surprised. You can't quite work out what all the fuss is about but as you approach you see smoke rising from the centre of the group.

Getting closer, you see what is happening. There are some Followers of the Way, the people who claim a crucified man from a backwater of the Roman empire came back to life and worship him as God, in the middle, standing next to a fire. The fire is being fuelled by - no it can't be - scrolls, of all things. Valuable scrolls! The whispered incredulity of the onlookers is clearly audible.

"They're crazy! Do they know how much those are worth?"

"That's a fortune going up in flames! Couldn't they have sold them at least?"

"Do they have to make such a public spectacle of themselves?"

Fast forward 2000 years and there's no need to imagine the scene. Another group of onlookers have gathered on a packed beach, only a few miles away from the ruins of Ephesus. It's not fire that's drawn them this time but water. Next to the families sitting on the sand, a small collection of people are watching three people wade out into the sea, one by one. They stop when the water reaches to their waists. Two others are already in the sea waiting for them. And each of the three stands in the sea and declares that they follow that same crucified, resurrected man-God. Such a public display is only possible in a few places in this country - attempting the same thing elsewhere is too risky. 

I'm a visitor accustomed to life in a much more conservative city and am delighted to be able to witness this but also feel uncomfortable and exposed in such a public setting. But as I stand on the hot sand, I can see and hear those wandering past, who stop and stare at this strange sight.

These onlookers, like their predecessors centuries before likely did, watch with surprise and provide their own commentary to others joining them.

"They're Turks getting baptised."

"Muslims becoming Christians."

The actions of the believers seem just as incomprehensible to bystanders as they must have done in early church times. 

And we pray that just like in Acts, the Word of the Lord would spread widely and in power.

Western Christian - the world is watching you

This is a joint post from my husband and I.

We know that these are strange and difficult times right now. We've prayed for wisdom for church leaders globally as they seek the best solution to the principles of rightly wanting to meet together, loving each other, loving neighbours, protecting individual freedoms and obeying governments. We've prayed for grace and unity in churches.

But when Western churches and believers balance all of these up, there is another factor to consider too. You may not be aware but your actions are visible to the rest of the world. Your choices can have consequences for your brothers and sisters in countries around the world where it is much more difficult to be a Christian.

In Turkey, our media is very often filled with stories of disasters, scandals and problems of every kind that are happening across the world, especially in more Western and richer countries. (You can speculate about why that might be the case, but it is). This also combines with a nationalism that is tied up with an Muslim identity. For some people, this manifests as an anti-Christian identity.

So, surprising as it may seem, the actions of churches in countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, Europe and elsewhere can actually be newsworthy here, even more so if it involves civil disobedience or results in a COVID-19 outbreak. 

As Christians we follow the Lord Jesus, first and foremost. It is also clear from the Bible that it matters what outsiders think. We want to honour Christ's name and create opportunities to share the Gospel. Western churches have cultural capital to draw on, the result of decades and centuries as generally being seen as a force for good in society. The situation in many other countries is rather different. 

One American church has started meeting in defiance of local government edicts. The reaction from the congregation was cheers and applause. If the believers here were similarly to come to the conclusion that, having exhausted other options, publicly defying government regulations was the only path of faithfulness that remained, the atmosphere would be better described as 'fear and trembling' rather than celebratory. If for some reason this intention was announced to the state beforehand, the meeting would be characterized by solemn joy, knowing that it would be our last. In addition to the inevitable church closure, believers would be shunned in society and risk dismissal from work. Some of the younger believers would likely be banned from meeting with any other believers. Preconceptions of Christians would be reinforced and it would be harder to share the Gospel.

This is no exaggeration. 350,000 people and the country's top political leaders came to the first Friday prayers following the conversion of the historic Hagia Sophia (originally a church building) back into a mosque a few weeks ago. It's not difficult to imagine how people here might feel about living churches. And there are many countries where believers face much more serious opposition. 

When ideas circulate that Christians are agents of the West and plotting the downfall of Middle Eastern countries, believers in those countries must work hard to show that while they may be Christians, they still love their country and want the best for it. The concept of a Christian as a moral, good person is (mainly thanks to Hollywood and 11th-13th century history) not widespread at all. So Christians here know that our reputation with outsiders matters for the Gospel and seek to do good, so silencing ignorant talk (1 Pet 2:15). 

And the actions of Western churches reflect on Christians and churches here. 

Local believers are taking tiny steps forward in dismantling those deeply ingrained prejudices, but years of work can be undone in moments. Negative stereotypes of Christians can be reinforced so easily by a news report of a Western church.

Christian brothers and sisters in the West, please know that your choices have consequences for how the name of Christ is viewed in other countries. Please be aware of the position of influence — for good or bad — that you enjoy. When you consider your rights and freedoms to meet together, do not forget the rights and freedoms of your brothers and sisters in Christ across the world. They may bear the greater cost of your actions.