Group Identity

A few weeks ago, I had the thought that we (Christians) are blessed, not only because of the life that Christ gives us, the relationship we have with God, but also because of the family we are a part of because of our faith.

Specifically, that we can call the martyrs of the past and present our brothers and sisters. Their sacrifices ennoble our lives. Men and women who suffered great persecution:

The martyrs of the historic past: Christians who were fed to lions in public, whose courage as they were devoured astonished Roman onlookers (and often caused them to become Christians themselves).

Missionary monks who gave up what they had to serve “barbarians,” but who did so willingly.

Christian women in Northern Europe whose homes were destroyed, their families killed by Viking pirates, taken as captives by these Vikings to Scandinavia—and then led their captors to faith.

Moravian missionaries wanting to reach slaves and slavemasters, who decided to sell themselves into slavery in order to do so.

The first Western missionaries to Korea, who were slaughtered soon after arriving.

Countless believers today in China, in Muslim countries, who knowingly choose to follow Christ.

Countless others.

I guess they’re not all martyrs, technically, but rather those who endure persecution for God.

I don’t want to romanticize this suffering, which has often been terrible, and often unrecognized for a long time (if ever). Rather, I think my feelings before when I heard stories of martyrdom were feelings of fear, mixed with some uneasiness.

Fear: The world can really be so cruel? Satan is really so ruthless, so fierce?

Uneasiness: Will God one day call me to make such horrendous sacrifices? Will this be the cost of discipleship?

But the more recent thoughts mulling in my mind were different. We, the Church (universal) throughout history and throughout the world have suffered much for our faith. We have paid the price in the past, and will do so again and again.

Others have gone before, and have shown that it can be done. Others have run the race, fought the good fight, won the prize. They’ve demonstrated that our lives are capable of more.

And they're believers, like we are. We are linked to them. Kind of like if someone from your high school becomes a celebrity. A tv actor, or an Olympic medalist, or a famous painter. You become proud of the fact that you're from the same place they're from. Or maybe, if you're older brother or sister achieves something great, and you're proud of them. And you're glad that you're part of the same family.

Again, there’s a temptation to romanticize. And if I lay claim to a group identity, to being part of Christendom, then that carries with it the bad things, too. Shameful, horrible things done in the name of Christ. The Crusades—the slaughter of Muslims, Jews, and Orthodox Christians, to “retake” the Holy land. The Spanish Inquisition. The Holocaust—German Christians taking revenge on the Jews, the “Jesus killers”. The ways in which Christians have contributed to colonialism, the exploitation of Africa and the Americas. Countless wars. Apartheid.

I don’t believe that these things were performed in accordance with Christian values and ideas. Nor do I believe that such atrocities performed in God’s name were done with His approval.

Many Christians today would simply say: hey, they weren’t really Christians. The Nazis, the Crusaders, the colonialists, the leaders who led their countries to war—they weren’t really Christians. They weren’t led by God, even if that’s what they were claiming.

Maybe. Maybe they were Christians who were deceived. Misguided. Deaf to whatever ways God was telling them not to do such things.

And even if the leaders were not Christians, but only claiming to do things in the name of Christ to gain support, how many of their followers were Christians?

I’m reminded of the parable of the wheat and the tares (aka weeds), from Matthew 13:24-30.

While the wheat is with the weeds, the two will be mistaken for each other. We Christians should be aware of our history, of what has been done in His name, whether good or bad.

Any thoughts? Disagreements? Comments?

Allright, I've rambled on for long enough. Time to read some Contracts cases, and Civil Procedure, and Constitutional Law.