Unseen Charity

As I reflect on the recent persecution of Christians in Oregon and the atheist contention that Christianity is what is wrong in the world, I can't help but think about how much the haters fail to see. The problem is, Christianity teaches to do good in secret, to direct all glory to the God who made us and who calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. So I run through the sacrifices my Christian friends make for others with no fanfare or publicity, in my mind, and it is more than I can number. But these are not people looking to build big charities with their names on them so everyone will praise them, these are simple people, living their lives quietly, adopting the broken children of others, feeding the poor in their neighborhoods, driving their neighbors to their court mandated classes, babysitting the children of single mothers, helping neighbors cover the rent they can't quite put together themselves, buying Christmas gifts and clandestinely giving them to a family hurting during the holidays, filling the freezers of those trying to feed their families with only food stamps, giving cars to students and families in need, making the repairs to cars of poor and single women, and I could go on and on beyond all this.

So to my atheist friends and family, think about what would happen if all these quiet, generous people are gone. Will the government really be able to meet all those needs that my brothers and sisters are sacrificing out of their own time and funds to meet now? Will the bureaucrats be there to cry with the abandoned wife and mother? Will they deliver the food stamps with hugs and kindness that continues day in and day out? Will you take their places? Will you put off your vacation, your dinner out, the time you wanted to use to watch your t.v. or play your video games? Will you shovel the walk of your elderly neighbors when you'd rather sleep in and linger over your coffee?
Our Christ, the One who bought us for His own to follow His example of sacrifice, teaches us that happiness comes from dying to our own desires and loving others sacrificially. This is the paradox that we live by, and you don't see it often times, or you are tricked by the hypocrites who take the name of Christ on themselves but don't actually believe anything Christ taught. This is what you think will bring utopia to your life? For all these Christians who would do all of this for you, too, to be gone? Placed in re-education camps, or simply massacred if they don't deny their God, as I've read many of you suggest?

From a Tract Written to Romans

“Be ashamed, ye Roman people everywhere, be ashamed of the lives you lead! . . . It is
neither the strength of their bodies that makes the barbarians conquer, nor the weakness of
our nature that makes us subject to defeat. Let no one think or persuade himself otherwise—it
is our vicious lives alone that have conquered us.”
Salvian