It can be tough being a Christian. So much so that sometimes we hide our witness and try to blend in rather than stand out. We love Jesus but don’t really want too many people to know, especially if it means persecution, mockery, ridicule, or disrespect.
In Turkey it’s tough to hide the fact that you’re a Christian. If you’re a Christian in Turkey you’re part of a huge minority. Some estimates say that there may be only about 3500 evangelical believers out of a population of 75 million. We have far more evangelical Christians living in Byron Center than in the entire country of Turkey. When you follow Christ you can expect hardship, opposition, and sometimes persecution. The authorities might scrutinize your business records far more than they do anyone else’s, just looking for a reason to make life hard on you. Your life might be threatened. If there’s any place where Christians might try to hide the fact that they follow Jesus you’d think it would be in a place like Turkey. But they can’t. In Turkey every adult is issued an identification card. On the front side is your personal information—name, address, date of birth, etc. On the back side is more information including your religion! Every person has to declare what religion they are a part of—Islam, Christianity, etc. The identification card pictured shows that this person was a Christian (look at the second word on the top line). How would you like your faith to be that public? When a police officer asks to see your I.d., it’s revealed that you’re a follower of Christ? Or when you’re applying for a job, your prospective Muslim employer will see that Jesus is your master. You can’t hide it. It’s a matter of public record.
Many of us would feel uncomfortable having our allegiance to Jesus be exposed that way. But isn’t that exactly the way it should be? We’re supposed to be clearly and identifiably Christian. Jesus said it this way, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Our faith isn’t supposed to shine simply through an identification card but by a life that clearly shows that Jesus is our Lord. There’s no place for hiding our light under a bushel. We are called to be as public as our brothers and sisters in Turkey.
I remember meeting a chaplain from the Air Force once. On the front and shoulders of his shirt were pins that indicated his rank. He wore a pin with his name on it. But what stood out to me were the pins that were on his collar. There were two crosses. He couldn’t hide the fact that he served Jesus.
Let’s let our light and words be so clear and direct that there’s no second guessing that we are followers of Jesus. Be “out there” for Jesus!
Pastor Tom