Management. Harvest time is upon us. Especially for people living in the countryside, it's something you can't help but notice. But the harvest time that we live in spiritually is more hidden and unnoticed. While we in Western Europe complain about declining church attendance and membership in Christian churches, Christian churches in Africa and Asia are experiencing unprecedented growth. This growth is often accompanied by trials and persecution, often on a shocking scale. Persecution sometimes comes from the authorities, sometimes from local communities, and sometimes from both the authorities and private groups and movements that have resented Christians and their presence, especially if they have turned from the religion of their ancestors and the majority of the people to faith in the Living God in Jesus Christ. But despite all attempts to stop the church's mission, the number of Christ believers is growing dramatically.
Christianity tends to cause outrage and discord, especially when it is characterized by radical following of Jesus. Even in Christian countries and cultures, it causes offense when a person is called to follow Jesus and wants to be 100 % consistent in obedience to God. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword. How does this harmonize with, for example, the Apostle Paul's words "Keep peace with all men as far as you are able"?
As Christians, we stand in the tension between being obligated to show charity in concrete action and being faithful to the Truth as expressed in Scripture and the tradition of the apostles. For example, can the Church defend telling Muslims to be baptized as a witness to follow Jesus when it knows that for the convert it will most likely mean threats to life, loss of work and opportunities to find a spouse? Or can it justify telling Muslims that they must live with faith in Jesus in their hearts, while outwardly acting as if they are faithful to the faith of their fathers, just to maintain peace and harmony in the family and community? - This is the dilemma churches in the Muslim world often face. There are no easy answers, but personally I would say that the church should not deny baptism to a Muslim if it is convinced of the authenticity and firmness of the new believer's decision to follow Jesus, whatever the cost - even if the baptizing pastor risks severe punishment, perhaps death, and the church is persecuted and perhaps closed down in that place.
On the other hand, many cases, not least from Egypt, show that there are plenty of false conversions and people who want to harm the church by enticing it to baptize Muslims who then turn out to have only wanted baptism as a joke. Therefore, the Church must also be vigilant and not take all alleged conversions at face value.
Despite these conditions, plus the fact that many Christians convert to Islam for convenience in countries like Egypt, the Church is strengthened through adversity. We pray that the example of the persecuted church will inspire Christians in Danmark and the rest of the Western world not to shy away from adversity or give in to discouragement, but instead to embrace adversity as a tool for renewal and strengthening witness.
