Faith

Right there in my Bible (First Peter) was a map. Clearly Peter was talking about Christians in the first century who were being persecuted – chased out and just plain "treated mean."

The map was showing the places where Christians had been "chased" to by the repressive Roman government. And right there was the word "Asia". It did not fit with where my brain had "Asia" located. After all, didn't the "Wise Men" come from the "east", like Asia?

My brain cried out "look again at that map!" In those days, "East" of Jerusalem were places like modern day India, Malayasia, Vietnam, China. Here Peter was, writing to the Christians in "Asia", living as aliens.

Now, I'm wondering what happened to all that elementary school geography? Did I just not listen, or was it all just "too far away to matter?" Whatever, it's all clear now, even if the point was that an oppressive government caused people to spread all over their world. And by so doing, they became examples for us – they suffered because of what they believed.

They rejoiced even in the midst of trials! Can we? Can I?

Started reading First Peter. After reading First, Second and Third John, it's like going from the "Frying Pan to the Fire."

Where John talked about what people should "know" – it was like he was saying "you have this knowledge that is your directions on how to live, then how can you not do it?"

Peter is talking to a different crowd. They are under attack – actually, being killed because of what they believe. It wasn't bad enough that they were "weird" in their culture – now they were being hunted and punished because they were followers of the one who came at Christmas.

True, that was a repressive society, even when Jesus walked among them, but by A.D. 60, it had become much worse. The Emporor was all bent out of shape that these people did not worship him. After all, he was "God" – so how come he died and stayed dead?

Peter wanted to bring some encouragement to the early church which was spreading. His challenge was for them to remember what they got at the end of the race called "life" – an inheritance that never lost value.

The facts are always confusing. Moreso when we have to dig a little and get out of what we call our "comfort zone." That was one of the things that John talked about in his second letter. In effect, he said "some of you walk in truth" and "some don't."

He did not actually say "some don't", but that has to be implied from the words "some do." The amazing thing is that he did not harp on the "don't" people. He marched right on with the instructions to keep going the way you "learned." More correctly, he said "keep walking the way you learned to walk" (living the way you learned to live).

It's like a basketball coach who talks to the team at half time and says "You're ahead, just keep shooting and defending like you have been and you will win." In other words, keep doing the right thing!