As many of us probably knew about the recent religious saga, in my opinion, a better communication among various parties could actually make whatever situation more manageable. =)
Anyway, my purpose was not to comment on any of what had happened recently. All I wanted to do is to showcase a beautiful article written by Rev Chiang Ming Shun, the newly appointed Pastor-in-charge of Aldersgate Methodist Church.
In the March Reflections of the Methodist Message, Rev Chiang wrote his article titled "What price the Christian conscience?". Let me quote a few paragraphs from this article that provides Christians with insights to how we might react more appropriately to certain issues that might arise in the future.
In his article, Rev Chiang wrote:
SO HOW should Christians respond when Jesus is insulted? We seem very docile, but if we do nothing, doesn't that give the impression that we don't care, that it is okay to abuse Jesus?
In 1999, the Shariah Court of the United Kingdom sentenced to death Terrence McNally whose London play Corpus Christi depicted Jesus Christ and his followers as homosexuals. Jesus was crucified the King of Queers.
On signing the death fatwa, Shariah Court judge Sheik Omar Bakri Muhammad also criticised Christians for not taking stronger action. "The Church of England has neglected the honour of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. It is blasphemy for them not to take action."
Some Christians did demonstrate outside the Pleasance Theatre, but there was no "official" rebuke.
...
John Piper, in a beautiful piece on his website www.desiringgod.org dated Feb 8, 2006, reminds us that the work of Christ is based on being insulted. Piper points out that if Christ hadn't been insulted, there would be no Cross. "This was his saving work: to be insulted and die to rescue sinners from the wrath of God."We know how the Roman soldiers mocked Jesus as they tortured him. All this had to be done.
So what happens when we come across something like the 1989 "Visions of Ecstasy" movie on sensual visions between Jesus and St Teresa of Avila? Or Nikos Kazantzakis' novel, The Last Temptation of Christ, made into a movie in 1988, with Jesus imagining himself falling in love with Mary Magdalen? Or even the best-selling Da Vinci Code series? How should we respond?
Piper writes: "On the one hand, we are grieved and angered. On the other hand, we identify with Christ, and embrace his suffering, and rejoice in our afflictions, and say with the apostle Paul that vengeance belongs to the Lord, let us love our enemies and win them with the Gospel. If Christ did his work by being insulted, we must do ours likewise."
Our work is not to remain silent or be resigned, but to love our enemies and win them over with the Gospel. That's very tough! But nobody said being a Christian was easy. The price for our freedom was the death of Jesus. What price do we put on our conscience?"
Let there be an Amen and Hallelujah to what Rev Chiang has written. Personally, I was very touched and encouraged to know what might be a more appropriate way to react to probable persecutions and trials faced by Christians in the future.
I thank God for this article and may the gist of this article penned by God through Rev Chiang bless many hearts!! =)
To God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be all glory, praise and thanksgiving!
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