lulled to sleep with imitation peace

what would it be like to wake up in a world that persecutes followers of Christ?

it's evasive to say that we already do based on hearsay of the persecuted church around the world, but it's clearly not an immediate reality for those of us living in the united states. (and thank God for our freedom!!) i certainly don't wake up facing that world every morning.

so are we living in peace? we hear about the struggle for survival, the torture, the all-out war against Christianity around the world, but it feels so far away. it's as if we're living on a fortified island with a fire storm swirling around a seemingly impenetrable bubble. persecution for americans at best resembles a distant and muffled bark but certainly no bite. it's just not the world we wake up to.

i find it interesting as i read accounts of fellow brothers (of whom i am increasingly honored to call brothers) who earnestly long for the physical presence of Christ. there hope in Christ far outweighs even my understanding of the word hope. they experience extreme physical ramifications of the spiritual warfare of which paul warns us repeatedly in his letters to the churches. those physical pains and dangers serve as a perpetual reminder that all will be made right when the King returns. the world they wake up to every morning wakes up their minds to the spiritual reality, and they find true peace in the person of Jesus Christ as they place their hope in Him.

has our "reality" here in the united states lulled us to sleep? i call it imitation peace: finding our peace in circumstances. it reminds me of the poppies that drugged dorothy and her companions in the wizard of oz. because our physical world senses no immediate threat we lose sight of reality.

that we are at war.

and we need the Prince of Peace.

i wonder what it will take for us to really long for Christ's return. to really hope in Him. recognizing that peace is not a place, peace is a Person.