Good Morning! 

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Continued…

It’s fascinating that this issue of blessing those who persecute Christians is a topic that I have been unable to move past.  As we’ve noted, persecution in western countries is much different than that which is experienced elsewhere but of late I’ve noticed three different situations in the news where Christians have experienced varying degrees of persecution because of their biblical beliefs.

Some colleges are forcing Christian students, who have a counseling major, to choose between their faith and continuing in the counseling program.  The Christian faith is being viewed by some as incompatible with their Counseling Department requirements.  Earlier this week a high court in England ruled against a couple wanting to be foster parents because of their Christian faith.  The judges said Britain was a “largely secular”, multi-cultural country in which the laws of the realm “do not include Christianity”.

The third instance is that of a Christian high school wrestler in Iowa who forfeited his match in the first round of the state tournament because it involved wrestling a girl.  The young man who happens to be the son of a Christian pastor noted his conscience and his faith as the basis for his action;

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan [another female wrestler who made it to the state championships] and their accomplishments. However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times. As a matter of conscience and my faith, I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most high-school sports in Iowa.”

Among media commentators, the young man has been both belittled and honored.  He was ranked 5^th in the state and could have won the championship, but there was something more important than winning.  He chose the path consistent with his faith. 

In all three examples mentioned above, the individuals encountered issues because of their commitment to their faith.  Hopefully all of them were able to bless and not curse the ones persecuting them.