Today is Pentecost, when we receive the Spirit and power of God. It all started with a sacrifice. I just have a short thought – that Christians are called to suffer and sacrifice themselves, almost to torture themselves, rather than sacrificing and torturing others. In all the arguments I’ve heard about torture, I’ve never heard anyone mention the idea that sometimes we simply have to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. Sometimes we have to get nuked. Sometimes we have to be tortured. We are called to sacrifice ourselves, not to sacrifice others.
The hopeful thing, to me, is that Christ’s sacrifice and torture led straight to Pentecost. With sacrifice comes true power – the only power that can reshape our world and defeat the evil within it. What have we sacrificed lately?
For whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God, that is a grace . . .
Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.
For: “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceit, must turn from evil and do good, seek peace and follow after it . . .
Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you.
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