Are We Really Being Thrown to the Lions?

 
Rowan Williams, former  Archbishop of Canterbury now Master Magdalene College, Cambridge has urged Christos in the west to grow-up and stop complaining about being ‘persecuted’. For deets, check out the link here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10244716/Persecuted-British-Christians-need-to-grow-up-says-former-Archbishop-Rowan-Williams.html

In comments made at the Edinburgh International Book Fair he said that being mocked or trivialised in the media is in no way comparable to the life or death threats to those living in other parts of the world. To an extent he is right; one can hardly compare an eye-roll from a colleague when you share that you follow a faith to a gun placed on your temple if a bible is found in your home, as is the case in some parts of the world.

However,  what a lot of Christians who feel they are persecuted are bothered about is not only the relative speed in which the volte-face from respected faith to one that is attacked relentlessly has come in the West but also the perception that those of other faiths are somewhat ‘protected’ as to attack them might be perceived as un-PC at best, downright racist at worst. Pick up a newspaper, especially one with a liberal leaning and with the exception of the Celeb Christo status currently afforded Pope Francis, the rest  of us are  seen as cartoon cut-out stereotypes. Be it raving bigots (see gay marriage and/or women bishops dramas), irrational nut-jobs (see the on-going Creationism debates) or simply daft, dangerous and on the way to extinction (see anything written by the New Atheists and their merry band of acolytes – funny how for a group so against organised belief structures and champions of free-thinking and individual thought, they are quite an organised, zealous and singular band of believers themselves, but I digress). However,  the stereotypes are not  entirely true: and yet they stick, and form a basis for hostility, hence the feeling of persecution.

To be a Christian is at its drill down to the essentials essence, to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, desire a relationship with him and believe in his divinity. The rest;  be it seven sacraments or two, stained glass windows or none, dance-offs in the aisles or contemplative silence is table dressing. And whilst I am not for a moment claiming that there aren’t heated debates and differences between the ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’ wings within the faith, the media does come across as a bit heavy handed in its attempt to describe us as a homogenous and intolerant group, desperately trying to cling to relevance whilst facing falling figures in the pews  and ambivalence amongst the young.

But if we are persecuted is it really such a bad thing?

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” Matthew5:11

Whilst it doesn’t feel like  a pop the champagne moment when you are persecuted, Jesus does say we are blessed because of it. To be a Christian has always been to be tangibly different. Why else, the analogies Jesus uses such as ‘salt and light’? Furthermore, difference by its very nature is often questioned and commented on and sometimes difference solicits fear, mockery and even contempt. And whilst yes, a generation or two ago it would be safe to assume that the majority around you would be rocking up to a Sunday service, it doesn’t diminish the veracity of what those of us who do continue to believe in, despite what the popular consensus is.  Being a picked-on group in the 21^st century is actually a bit of a boon. It’s an opportunity to be counter-cultural, edgy, dare I type it, cool. Because here is the thing, when everyone gets bored of cynicism, self-hatred ,  addictions,  mendacity,  aggression, consumerism  and solipsism as a way of life; in we enter stage left with:

“… love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

So instead of grumbling about not being in the ascendancy we should revel in the current situation. After all, everyone loves an under-dog and they have a surprising knack of actually winning