11-17-19
Luke 21:5-19
“An Opportunity to Testify”
“Adversity does not build character, it reveals it,” is sometimes attributed to Vince Lombardi. Perhaps we can imagine young men showing their character in the mud and struggle of a mid-twentieth century football field, but what does it mean for our character and faithfulness to be tested and revealed in truly difficult situations – times and places where our families and communities are threatened, our lives are at risk, or our wellbeing is attacked? Jesus paints a picture of struggle for his disciples and assures them that their witness and endurance will be crucial even as they face the very worst of times. What might it mean for us and others that times of crisis and persecution are opportunities to testify? What will it mean to think of our lives, not just our words, as testimony to the savior we follow, and the God we worship?