The Lord is the stronghold
of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?
-Psalm 27:1
There is an old story that
says when Christians were under severe persecution in Rome, Peter decided he
would leave. As Peter walks out of Rome, he encounters the resurrected Christ
who is going the opposite direction. When asked by Peter, “Quo Vadis?” (Where
are you going?), Christ replies that He is going back to Rome to die again.
Whereupon Peter returns to Rome and there, according to tradition, is martyred,
having been crucified upside down.
Anyone who has ever
experienced the fear of persecution can understand the struggle, the desire to
flee, and save his hide. But only those who have survived have any right to
criticize those who waver. Such as Wang Ming Tao, who lived most of his life in
seething caldron of controversy and challenge.
Finding Christ as a young
man, Wang first felt the bitter taste of rejection when he was thrown out of
school because of his decision to be baptized. Eventually, Wang Ming Tao and
his wife were both sent to prison; he for 22 years, and she for 20 years
because of their refusal to give up what they believed in.
Shortly before of his
death, Wang told a friend, “Living in this world, a person will encounter three
strong temptations. The first is the temptation of material things. The second
temptation is that of vanity. The third temptation is of the flesh.” Reflecting
on these he continued, “I have encountered all of these, and thanks be to God,
for none of these things did I ever fail.” Then with remorse he said, “But at
the end I fell, but for what reason? Fear.” Then he added, “And now, after many
years of great trial, I have learned another lesson. Even fear will give way to
victory!”
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