'Despite great opposition'

Some time ago, I was watching a Christian leader talk about a bold project he was preparing. His interlocutor congratulated and strongly encouraged him, and concluded the conversation by expressing the hope that this leader would not find himself facing virulent opposition. And then, I thought, what difference does it make? Later, I had to think about a nonconformist atheist Nigerian educator. Tai Solarin, now deceased. Tai Solarin used to say to his interlocutor, 'May your path be rough,' as a farewell. He believed that adversity builds character, and a strong character will enable you to live victoriously. He didn't believe in avoiding or fleeing from opposition, but rather in meeting it head-on. I would go so far as to say that in this his thinking was closer to the Bible than he and some believers imagined.

Certainly, as Christians we do not wish adversity on anyone, however one can wonder if we have not gone too far in the opposite direction by seeking at all costs to avoid any specter of offense or opposition? After all, the Epistle of James calls us to consider 'it all joy when you fall into various trials.' Adversity and persecution are not the standard by which to judge whether or not you have done well; it simply means that you have disturbed someone's peace of mind, and in truth, some people do need their peace of mind seriously disturbed. In our society, just saying that you believe in God will provoke someone's ire, so be it. Either we choose to bury our heads in the sand or we get used to the fact that we are not always going to be loved.

We contemporary Christians are sometimes terrified of provoking any negative reaction from non-Christians because it would be a disservice to the gospel; far from it. Being popular with people does not mean being popular with God, and vice versa. Almost everywhere he went, the apostle Paul found himself facing virulent opposition, not of the 'they said nasty things about us in the newspaper' variety, but rather of the 'they tried to kill me and threw me in prison' variety; yet people overwhelmingly received the gospel. This is nothing like our generation of Christians allergic to the slightest adversity and the slightest risk. Not only was Paul no stranger to adversity, he flourished despite it and even in its midst. Nor did he believe that adversity was an obstacle to the spread of the gospel—quite the opposite.

Writing to the church in Thessalonica, he recalled how he had preached the gospel to them amidst much struggle and how they received it with the joy of the Holy Spirit. These people then became a 'model' for other believers, and the Lord's message was widely spread through them. Wonderful, but that's not all. It turns out that not only had Paul experienced persecution in Thessalonica, but even before going there, he wrote, they had 'suffered and been insulted in Philippi.' That is to say, having suffered violent attacks in Philippi, Paul and his companions hardly thought for a moment of retreating to their den to lick their wounds and feel sorry for themselves; on the contrary, God gave them the confidence to send them to Thessalonica, where they continued to preach the gospel in the face of great opposition, with spectacular results.

What a beautiful phrase, 'in spite of great opposition.' It should become our mantra as we proclaim the gospel and in all our service to God. We are not supposed to fear opposition or want to avoid it at all costs, desperately seeking refuge from the evil stares and poisonous pens bent on excoriating us, praying for 'zero opposition'; rather, we are to be among those who 'in spite of great opposition' continue to flourish, even in the midst of our enemies. May God give us courage. When God finds those who are not afraid to endure the mockery, ridicule, criticism, and other minor inconveniences that await Christians in the West, we will see changes because we will dare to say and do things that, while offending some, will provoke others to a radical commitment to Jesus.

Shalom!