HEELCATCHER

The recent beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians woke me up.

I have prayed for the persecuted church and have faithfully supported ministries like Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs. But I don't think I have ever been confronted with such brutality and blatant hatred toward Christians. 21 Egyptian Christians were marched out to the beach and systematically murdered…in a slickly (and sickly) produced video for the world to see. This is public execution taken to the furthest extremes in our digital, media-addicted world.

Unfortunately, it is just the tip of the iceberg.

Away from the camera-captured brutality of ISIS, Christian men, women, and children are being oppressed, threatened, imprisoned, sold as sex slaves, and executed in Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, and in many other nations around the world.

What can we do?

Pray. It sounds like a cliche but, in the face of persecution, our first priority as believers is to pray. As John Calvin said, "Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer." Voice of the Martyrs has a that is a good place to start. When we pray, God not only responds but changes us in the process. So get on your knees and pray.

Give. Support ministries that support the persecuted church and also work to spread the gospel in restricted lands. Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, and Samaritan's Purse are the ministries that immediately come to my mind. I am sure that there are others. Just as the apostle Paul spent a large majority of his ministry raising money for the persecuted church in Jerusalem, we should make giving to the persecuted church a high priority as well. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God (2 Corinthians 9:12). So click a link to one of these ministries above and give.

Speak Out. Proverbs 31:8 says, Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Just as we are to pray for governmental leaders to provide liberty and protection to believers (1 Timothy 2:1-2), we certainly should speak out for that liberty and protection as well…especially if we have the opportunity to do so. With all the potential negative aspects of social media, the one positive aspect is the ability to spread the message of the gospel and to alert others to the injustices committed against our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In that vein, I started a petition to encourage President Obama to clearly acknowledge and speak out for persecuted Christians and denouce Islamic extremism which is responsible for much of the persecution around the world.

Why did I do this?

Primarily because I could. I wrote an email to him and saw the opportunity to start a petition at We the People. It may not go anywhere (it needs at least 150 signatures to "go live") but it was at least an opportunity to get the word out there in a different kind of way.

Two disclaimers about the petition…

I am not trying to be political. I certainly disagree with President Obama on a number of issues but I have prayed for him and continue to do so. The escalating persecution of Christians (and Jews) around the world is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It should concern us all. And when our President, for some reason, refuses to clearly call it what it is, it should bother us all. This is not a time for our leadership to be politically correct but to be boldly direct.

I am not making a statement against Muslim people. In fact, many of the people being brutally killed by ISIS are Muslims. And I am thankful that Egypt, as a Muslim-majority nation, has responded against ISIS for the killing of these 21 Coptic Christians. However, to act as if Islamic extremism doesn't exist is to be naive, willfully blind, or deceptive. As a recent Atlantic article pointed out, ISIS, if anything, is Islam taken to its most literal and extreme form. We cannot hope to counteract and defeat an enemy if we are afraid to even identify it.

So now is the time to pray, give, and speak out. I know that there are many other issues out there, but few (if any) are more important at this present time, especially for the believer in Christ. If one part [of the church of Christ] suffers, every part suffers with it (1 Corinthians 12:26a).

And whether one is a Christian or not, ISIS and similar Islamic extremist groups cannot be ignored or underestimated. They are more devoted, more deceived, more barbaric, and potentially more dangerous than Nazism (if that can be imagined).

If their brutality doesn't wake us up, then we are not just asleep. We are dead.

Perhaps literally.

I never thought I would try Scottish dancing.

Never.

To me, the words "Scottish dancing" brought up images of men dancing in kilts to strange bagpipe music in some kind of Riverdance-looking line dance. Not a pleasant mental image.

But for the past few weeks I have gone with my wife to a Scottish dancing class in our church foyer. Yes, dancing in the church foyer is another image I thought I would never see. But I digress…

There is a lady in our church from Scotland whose daughter is getting married this weekend. Many of her relatives are coming from Scotland and they are expecting some good ol' Scottish dancing during the wedding reception. Unfortunately they will be disappointed with the "good" part but there will be some ol' fashioned Scottish dancing at this American wedding. Of course, after seeing us Americans try to dance to their music, they may wish they would have kept their William Wallace inspired wishes to themselves. But I digress again…

I am performing the wedding ceremony but I had no intention of learning Scottish dancing. I figured there might be 4 people showing up for such a class. Quaint idea. Good luck trying to get someone to come. But without me knowing it, my wife signed us up. She didn't reveal this little tidbit of information to me until about an hour before the first class.

"Honey, we have to leave in an hour."

"Where are we going?"

"To the Scottish dancing class."

I nearly choked on my mini-wheats.

My first inclination was to say "no" but in reality I had no excuse not to go. And I have to admit that there was a small part of me that wanted to learn to dance with my wife. After all, when you are a Bible college grad from a conservative Baptist background, dancing is not a part of your training. The whole "dancing" in the Bible thing is sort of skipped over. So the only time I had ever danced with my wife was a slow dance at a wedding or two. Is that really dancing? Or just swaying back and forth while hugging?

Realizing my woeful dancing deficiences, I figured what could be the harm in trying Scottish dancing for one hour. As long as no one is wearing a kilt we should be okay.

Well, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I can't dance worth a lick but I certainly had fun…and had a cardio workout at the same time.

St. Bernard's Waltz, the Dashing White Sergeant, the Military Two-Step, Strip the Willow, and, my favorite, the Canadian Barn Dance (though I am not sure why the Scots are dancing in Canadian barns). All of them have specific steps that repeat over and over and generally move in a giant circle…with a lot of clapping, skipping, and "yeehaws" thrown in for fun. (I don't think the Scots do the "yeehaw" part.)

Not only was I surprised at how much I enjoyed it but I was also surprised that over 40 people showed up at different times to learn it. In fact, last night at our final lesson, we had just about all 40 people there. At one point, I sat back and watched…totally drained after dashing around during the Dashing White Sergeant.

I was amazed at what I saw. Young and old. Male and female. Several generations. Dancing together. Smiling together.

It hit me all at once.

Our culture…my generation…has missed something. We have lost the ability, the opportunity, for several generations to enjoy activities together. To watch a teen-aged grandson dance with his grandmother was both amazing and, well, simply inspiring. To see my wife dance with one of our sons was a blessing and a joy.

I also noticed how male and female of different ages could enjoy spending time together and get to know one another in a healthy, fun environment. This is so rare today. Our culture has sexualized virtually everything. Guys and girls don't even know how to relate to one another, how to spend time with one another, without the temptation of sex being forced into the picture.

The generations have been separated. Friendships have been isolated. Sex has been elevated. Our culture has degenerated. And we are all feeling the effects.

Okay, I admit, that is a lot to take from a Scottish dancing lesson. So, lest I digress again, let me just sum this up in a single thought:

The Scots sure know how to celebrate at a wedding…and how to build a culture that makes a wedding a true celebration.

So I will dance a jig for the Scots.

But I still won't wear that kilt.

"A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle." Proverbs 18:19

I came across this proverb this morning. It is a reminder of the difficulty of relationships. Be in a relationship for any period of time and you will be offended. Your feelings will get hurt. You will feel slighted, disrespected, ignored, irritated, wounded. And, the converse is also true, along the way you will also offend and wound others…whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Unfortunately the hurt heart often becomes the hardened heart. The wounds lead to walls. We build up our defenses. We retreat into our shell. We become angry and cynical. We isolate ourselves to protect ourselves and end up reducing ourselves to bitter individuals.

Breaking through such walls are more difficult than any battle strategy. To restore a broken relationship is often the greatest challenge we will face in this life. That's why God gives commands to both the offender and the offended.

To the offender…do all you can to seek forgiveness and restoration as soon as you can. "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24).

To the offended…do all you can to forgive and keep your heart tender before the Lord. "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother" (Matthew 18:15).

And "do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give an opportunity to the devil" (Ephesians 5:26b).

"Pursue peace will all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled" (Hebrews 12:15).

Seeking to restore broken relationships is difficult and often heart-wrenching but it is worth it. Just ask your Savior, Jesus Christ.