I’ve been fortunate to travel to India five times. Each time I come back to the United States, I return with fresh insights. They often come as a result of looking at the world through a different “lens”. Mission trips have a way of doing that. Most recently, my observations didn’t come from my eyes, but from my ears.
Every morning about 5 am I was awakened by a unique sound. It was the Islamic call to prayer. It was blasted from a minaret. From this tower, the faithful are called to prayer five times each day by a muezzin, or crier. You couldn’t escape the sound. I must admit, it was a bit eerie. I quickly came to an obvious conclusion. The Muslim community was not hiding their faith, but daily they were announcing it. They did it even though they are a minority religion in a virtual ocean of Hinduism.
Without apology, I would remind all of us that our country was clearly founded on Christian values and propositions. History affirms the faith of our founding fathers. The solid foundation they laid over 200 years ago continues to stand the test of time, “One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”
So, why are so many Christ-followers reluctant to proclaim the very faith that they know to be true. I understand our culture has changed and it is not “vogue” to be a Christian nowadays. But really? 1 Timothy 1:7 says “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” Today, we live in an ocean of unbelief, but don’t let that stop you to proclaim, herald, announce, declare, or cry out the truth. Jesus is “…the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. John 14:6