GospelboundSample

Sojourners on Earth

Even as Christians work to show God’s light and love to this world, we know the job won’t be complete until Jesus returns. We know that in this world we’ll lose many battles against evil. We know that Jesus warned that the world will hate us (Matthew 5:11; John 15:18). 

But for many of us in historically Christian America, these warnings have been hypothetical for so long that we don’t know what actual opposition looks like or how to minister from the margins. 

It’s an important skill to recover, because as culture slowly secularizes—or at least looks outside Christianity for purpose and meaning—American Christians have a brand-new opportunity. We must not waste it. A defensive posture is no way to reach out to those who need Jesus. 

If we start with a more realistic expectation—that the default should be marginalization or even suffering for Christ—then the church in America still looks privileged and even protected. The #blessings tagged on social media—career promotions, happy and matching families, and a stream of Amazon Prime boxes—seem more like the prosperity gospel (believing that following Jesus will make life more pleasant or comfortable) than the vision of discipleship we see in the Bible. 

In 2020, just before the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a public health emergency, I (Sarah) flew to a conference of Asian Christians in Kuala Lumpur. 

Many of the church leaders I met came from China. I’ll never forget sitting across from them and asking about their stories. In their demeanor I saw calm grace under the relentless pressure of government restrictions. 

“Hardship reveals a reality of earthly life—we are bound for another home,” said one man who works secretly with house church pastors.

The biggest threat to Chinese Christians isn’t having their churches closed or pastors imprisoned, he said.

“We are sojourners on earth, and things like the worship of money and secularism are trying to persuade us that we are permanent residents. When the tension eases between your earthly identity and your heavenly identity—that’s the biggest threat,” he said. 

Sliding out of a privileged position may not be a bad thing for the American church. After all, if we feel comfortable here, in a world we know is broken and sinful, what does that say about us? Maybe we don’t need to worry so much about losing privilege and power we were never meant to have.

Lord, forgive me for wanting privileges that You never promised. Forgive me for making assumptions about Your favor based on the world’s standards, not Yours. I don’t want to be comfortable in this world. I want to know You more. Amen.