When we read the Bible we usually read only those passages that we think relate to our personal situation. We are often not aware that there are themes that run through the Bible that reflect its most basic and most essential teachings. The theme of ‘deliverance,’ for example, is an important theme that is very prominent in the Book of Exodus as Israel is delivered from the bondage of Egypt. It shows up again when Jews in captivity are allowed to go back to their homeland to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. It has a spiritual dimension when we are taught that we are delivered from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

Paul connected his own personal suffering to his responsibility for fulfilling his call. That suffering would be a part of his calling was stated explicitly by God to him. Since Paul had been a persecutor of the church before his conversion, he knew best what was waiting for him.

Periodically as I read the Bible there are verses that pop out at me appearing as though I have never read them before. Reading through Acts 26, I was stopped-short by an amazing statement that never registered in my mind before. Paul said in verses 9-11: “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.”

Religious fanaticism has a prominent place in recent news coverage. Those who are committed to proving that religion is by nature irrational and fanatical have more than enough examples to support their belief. Religious people are seen as lunatics, extremists who are willing to do almost anything to promote their cause and belief system. Unfortunately, there are those who, in the name of religion, are willing to do just about anything to promote their cause. They are inflexible and intolerant to the extreme. And there are those, in the name of irreligion, who are just as fanatical and capable of doing the same things.

In John chapter 11 we read that Lazarus is dead. Jesus tells his disciples that he needs to go to Bethany in Judea, and that he wants them to go with him. The purpose for going is for God’s glory but also so that the Son can be glorified through it. Jesus intended to raise Lazarus from the dead, but the disciples did not know that. All they knew was that the last time Jesus was in Judea there were those who tried to kill him. So Thomas, assuming that Jesus would go back to Judea and risk being killed, rallies his colleagues to go with Jesus and die with him.

Those living in freedom can be lulled into lethargy. The church in the free world is losing its passion for evangelism and for participation in the public square in conversation with society. It has either lost confidence or conviction to proclaim the faith publically, or it has withdrawn into its shell and agreed with those who think that faith is primarily an individual activity that has no relationship to public life.

“I see nothing” is the classic line of Sgt. Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes, the 1960s television series about prisoners of war. The line is funny and unforgettable. So what does it mean? It means to ‘turn a blind eye.’ If I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist, it hasn’t happened, and therefore I am not responsible for it. Schultz was hiding from reality—usually the antics of the prisoners of war that he was supposed to be guarding. It was a humorous statement from a character on TV, but in real life hiding one’s eyes (face, head) from reality is immature and irresponsible. It can be downright dangerous.

Much of the persecution of Christians in the news today is attributed to radical Muslims, although there are many other groups across the globe also persecuting Christians. Radical Muslims use a particular religion or an ideological view based on an interpretation of that religion to commit horrendous crimes against innocent humans. Whether they capture the essence of their religion or whether they have a skewed and warped view of it is a debate both within the Muslim community and the world at large. The bottom line is that they are persecuting Christians—and often killing Muslims they feel don’t measure up to their ideology—in the name of God.

Sometimes when we read the Bible we assume a historical posture that says to us, “that happened a long time ago but doesn’t happen today.” For example, when we read Hebrews 11:38 about ancient saints wandering in deserts and mountains and living in caves and holes in the ground because they were homeless because of their faith, we usually don’t connect that with today’s world—especially in the Western world where homelessness is either a personal choice or one is forced into homelessness due to financial setbacks. The world is larger than our enclave and looking beyond our normal focus, we can see that homelessness due to faith is happening right now.