Are You Willing to Pay the Cost? Am I?

"You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. - I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. - Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not." - John Adams in a letter to his wife Abigail on 3 July 1776

I couldn't help but think of this quote when I was reading about a speech that Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera (Mexico City) gave at the opening of the XII International Path to Rome Congress last Friday. (Fidelity to Christ Can Lead to Martyrdom, Says Cardinal)

Talking about the moment the Catholic Church finds itself in, he said it is a moment of great strength "even though in some parts of the world the Catholic Church is persecuted." He went on to say: "It is a fact as well that the Church grows with persecutions."

He acknowledged the difficulty of living out the faith in this day & age. & that there is much opposition to the Church's teachings especially in the areas of the defense of marriage and life. "That's why we need Catholics guided by the presence of the Risen Christ. We need Catholics who are ready to be faithful, with a fidelity that can even lead to martyrdom."

& while John Adams was talking about the cost they faced in creating a new nation, I have always found in those words a challenge for living out my faith. America's founders were willing to pay the price so that we might be free. Many of them lost their homes, their property, members of their families & even their own lives so that we could live free. How many of us are willing to lay it all on the line for Christ?

& IT WILL COST. That is a given. For most of us, the cost has usually been a little inconvenience here & there, nothing more. For some of us it has been verbal persecution & the like. For some, esp in areas like China, parts of Africa, etc, it is costing them freedom & even their lives.

But things are changing. It is reaching a time where the cost for anyone who wants to truly follow Christ will be a lot more that slight inconvenience. The attitudes towards Christians in the media, in a lot of the Left, etc is not even one of their so-called tolerance. It is 1 of hatred, persecution & attempts to silence. & it may get worse. Look at some of the so-called hate crimes laws being passed. they are actually attempts to silence Christians who speak out the truth of the Gospel. People will have to make a choice, speak the truth & face loss of a job, imprisionment & the like, or to turn their backs on Jesus & the truth. This is what has often been called "White Martyrdom". We are definitely seeing an upswing in this.

For others it will be a "Red Martyrdom". People will give up their lives for the Gospel. As I said, it is already going on in many places in the world. & it is not outside of the realm of possibility that it could happen here in the USA. & it could even reach the point where those who kill Christians are considered heroes rather that the criminals they really are.

But "the End is more than worth all the Means". The seeds of growth for the Church has always been found in the blood of the martyrs. & in the end, Jesus has promised that He will triumph. HE WILL REIGN AS LORD & KING. & those who are willing to pay the price, even if it is losing their lives will reign with Him forever.