Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that  you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the evil day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

          Persecuted? We don’t hear that word very much outside of Christian circles. More normally, we hear the term oppressed or repressed. The interesting thing is that much of what people tend to call oppression is really persecution. To oppress is to subject to harsh or authoritarian treatment. To persecute is to subject (someone) to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their race or political or religious beliefs. The problem is that anyone can persecute. Oppression is something done by some vague authority somewhere, some amorphous entity that doesn’t include us. Some people say that persecution only happens in other countries, probably because we’ve been taught that the only persecution that matters is the sort that rounds people up in collectives. It’s not persecution until you’re committing mass crimes.
         Except, of course, persecution happens every day in America. Sometimes it’s called “bullying,” and it’s amazing how quickly supposedly loving, caring, compassionate, tolerant, empathetic people turn into bullies if you don’t happen to agree, submit to, and celebrate their beliefs. The world doesn’t have much use for any righteousness but self-righteousness right now, and those practicing it are quick to project their motives as the motives of anyone who displeases them.
          So, what are the persecuted to do about the persecution? First, don’t be surprised or scandalized when you are attacked because you follow what Scripture says. Even people who call themselves Christians attack people who believe what the Bible says to be true is true. Secondly, do not fight back in kind. Put on the armor of God as listed above, starting with truth.  Stand firm in the truth.