China

Okay, I know it may seem a little off topic to be speaking about China when clearly I am not in that area of the world. But don't worry, there is a tie. As you may well be aware, the arab nations are not terribly pleased with the presence of Christians in their midst. So depending on the nation, there are various laws and regulations that are placed upon the in-nation Christians to limit them in what they can do and say and things like that. Same is true in some parts of India actually. Funny thing though, the authorities have learned to lay off the Christians. They found that when they leaned on the Christians they had this habit of unifying and growing in numbers. When they left them alone, they stagnated and became quarrelsome among themselves. (Kinda like N.A. today, no?) Which leads us to China. I was talking to some people and apparently the Christians in China are praying that persecution will come to the church in North America. Now when you first here that, your taken aback a little bit. But it makes complete and total sense. What they really want is a revival in North America and for the church to grow strong and unified. Now how does that happen... certainly it has been proved that the current situation hasn't lead to that circumstance. Its just such an odd thing to hear, considering North America's obsession with always wanting everyone comfortable and happy. Here are other Christians praying that our comfort and happiness be replaced by zeal\passion and joy. I think we've gone down the wrong path, always trying to make sure everyone is happy and comfortable, its lead to our surface culture and our avoidance with any deep issues. Its lead to our avoidance in taking place in anything that could resemble a stand on any issue. I really think the Chinese Christians are onto something. Perhaps its something that people in North America should be praying for as well, as counter-intuitive as it may be.