John stood there. He was scared. He didn't know what to do. He certainly wasn't ashamed of his Christianity, but he knew that if he said yes that he would go to prison. He looked the officer in his eyes, remembered his favorite verse, and said "I am a Christian, and I'm certainly proud to be!".
The officer grabbed him by his arm and said that he was under arrest for being a Christian. John's uncle yelled:
"You can't take my nephew, you have no proof!"
"Sir, your nephew clearly stated that he's a Christian. Now you know the laws, so get out of my way. If it makes you feel any better, he'll get a trial"
The trial date came. Citizens from the town served as witnesses for the trial. For John, there was more than enough proof of his Christianity. Neighbors told stories of Bible lessons that they received from John, many times he would pray for them when things were wrong, and countless times they saw him reading the Bible.
Everybody said that his characteristics were that of a Christian, and that John's lifestyle was indeed of a Christian. He was a warm individual and he always was cheerful. They said that even when he lost his parents he constantly prayed. They even explained that they have seen God work in their lives through John.
You're probably wondering why his townspeople betrayed him. They did just the opposite. John was proud to be a Christian. He would rather get locked up for what he believed in than faking his lifestyle, and being somebody he wasn't. His faith in God was firm and he knew that Christianity wasn't an event. He didn't want to only be a Christian at certain times, only putting his "Christian hat" when his parents were around or when other Christians were close by. He understood that Christianity is a lifestyle, a way to live.
I challenge those that are reading this. Those that claim Christianity, but we really only act as if it's an event. An event that happens once a week when we have to go to church, but when we're outside of it we succumb to ways of the world. You can't love God one day of the week, it really doesn't work like that. I couldn't imagine if He did the reverse to us. Christianity is a lifestyle, and being like Jesus is part of that lifestyle. Sometimes the things we do, watch, listen to, or even support don't exactly fall in lines with that lifestyle. Nobody's perfect and I understand, but if we believe in something, then we should act that way. I challenge us all, including myself, to be more like our friend John. To treat Christianity as what it should be, a lifestyle and not just an event. I challenge us all to be like Jesus, no matter who's around. Even if it's difficult, please stand up. Stand up for what you believe in.
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