PRAY AND PROTEST

In light of what just happened in Nice, France, a dear Christian brother stated:

"We just have to continue to pray and to shine the light of Christ."

While I agree with him, we have to also ask, "What does it means to be Christlike? Doesn't righteousness and justice also play a role?"

 It certainly did in the preaching of Jesus. Although Jesus could not appeal to the Romans or the Sanhedrin about the surrounding hypocrisy and injustice, He certainly denounced it:

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.” (Matthew 11:21-22; ESV)

In this, Jesus affirmed the ongoing role of justice in God's plan. Mustn't we?

He even denounced those who claimed to be His disciples:

“On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'” (Matthew 7:22-23)

Sometimes, we are called to go beyond praying and being nice. Sometimes, we are required to expose evil:

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them...But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible.” (Ephesians 5:11, 13)

We are required to be the light, but how? We need to raise our voices in behalf of the Christians who are loosing their jobs and even their businesses because we no longer have the freedom to not have to participate in sin. We need to cry out against the genocide of the unborn and Christians in Muslim and Communist counties.

We cannot keep silent, supposing that to be Christlike is to be silent:

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17)