Resurrection of Our Faith: Part II

In Resurrection of Our Faith: Part I, we examined the meaning of the Paschal Mystery, how we experience suffering and rejection as Christ did, and our calling today to walk in Christ’s shoes. In walking with Christ through His Passion and death, we receive the strength to endure the suffering and sacrifices placed before us. Jesus teaches us that new life can come from death, that there is meaning in tough times, and that a light exists in the darkness. Through Christ’s Paschal Mystery, we have proof that death does not have the last word. We like Christ will persevere over suffering and death to be born again to share God’s saving grace with the world.

In Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected, Nik Ripken shares the stories of our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters. These family members have spent countless days, even years, in prison for their faith, they have lived a life looking over their shoulder for fear of being followed, and they have ripped Bibles into individual books in order to spread the written word. Despite the constant threats, they endure and stand strong knowing God walks with them. After reflecting on these stories, the reader is left to ask who or what could be responsible for the miracles, profound encounters, and the resurrection of faith happening across the world, if it is not the workings of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Nothing is by chance, there is a divine plan for each of us at work that is revealed in due time.

For example, Nik shares the following story about a man named Dmitri from Russia. Dmitri having not been educated in the ministry profession, considered himself unqualified to be a Christian leader and minister to his community. Despite his lack of training, he and his family consistently drew a large crowd to his home for prayer and worship. As the crowd grew larger, the authorities began to question him. One day they came into a prayer gathering and took Dmitri from his home to a prison of fifteen hundred hardened criminals, a thousand miles away from his family and friends. Dmitri stayed there for seventeen years, but he did not give up hope. Every morning, he rose and turned to the east and sang the HeartSong. He collected scraps of paper and wrote versus on them placing them in his cell until the guards came, tore them down, and persecuted him. The other prisoners mocked and threw unimaginable things at him, but none of this could dissuade Dmitri. Finally, the authorities convinced him that his family was gone so he prepared to sign the paperwork to say he did not believe in order to be freed to truly find out about his family. That evening he heard his family praying and singing from a thousand miles away. When morning came, he refused to sign the papers as he knew his family lived. Later as they took him out to the yard to persecute and execute him, the fifteen hundred hardened prisoners rose, turned to the east, and began to sing the HeartSong. Shortly thereafter, the guards let Dmitri go, and he was freed to go home to see his family who had been praying and singing for him that special evening.

Dmitri’s story is only one of many encounters of God that leads to the resurrection, rebirth, and hope in the lives of not only the persecuted but also Nik, his fellow companions, and all of us. In addition, these brothers and sisters take their suffering for faith to heart for the good of all the faithful communities across the world. One believer shared, “I took great joy that I was suffering in my country so that you could be free to witness in your country.” This individual raised his voice saying, “DON’T YOU EVER GIVE UP IN FREEDOM WHAT WE WOULD NEVER GIVE UP IN PERSECUTION --- AND THAT IS OUR WITNESS TO THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!”

Are you ready to pick up that Cross and walk as Christ walked? Keith Strohm, evangelizer with Ablaze Ministries, shared at a recent mission that we are called to minster like Christ. Christ prayed and brought healing to the suffering, cast out demons, and forgave sins. What says we cannot seek and pray for the same things? As Dmitri stood strong day in and day out praying, our prayers too will be answered in due time as Christ intends. Keith says his community has seen miraculous things happen. May we too be strong in our faith, to not coward away, but to be open and seek Gods path for our lives and in all those we encounter. Through Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, He saved us from sin and the ‘fires of hell’ and challenged us to go out and spread the good news.  

Thanks for sharing in this journey of The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected and the Paschal Mystery. I encourage you and myself as well to step out of our comfort zone, to stop letting Satan keep us hostage, to go out sharing the good news of our Father, and to show mercy and love to all those we encounter. It all starts with a simple smile and the love of Christ and others to gain true happiness and be resurrected in faith. Go in Peace!