Did you see the parody of Da Vinci’s Last Supper at the Olympics? I did. Let me begin by saying that I am never surprised when unbelievers act like unbelievers. Although it was called a “display of tolerance” by Paris Olympic organizers, it showed no tolerance at all to Christians. It was offensive and abhorrent. How should Christians respond? We don’t have to watch or approve of it. Olympic viewing is, after all, voluntary. Some companies have withdrawn advertising. Politicians have expressed outrage. Is there anything in our shared history as Christians that informs our response?
Earlier in the book of Acts, we saw Christians praise God when they faced opposition because they were grateful to be counted worthy of suffering for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41). Like Peter and John, Paul and Silas were beaten for their faith. What did they do afterward? Did they languish in their suffering or complain about how unfair it was? No. They worshipped. Battered, bruised and bound by shackles, they lifted their voices in prayer and song at midnight. The audience of the other prisoners listened closely that night. Then God delivered the disciples with a powerful earthquake. As the jailer contemplated suicide because he feared the prisoners had escaped, Paul told him not to harm himself.
When the early Christians faced opposition, they rejoiced to be counted worthy of suffering for Jesus. They prayed and asked for boldness to proclaim Jesus (Acts 4:23-31). Most importantly, they saw their oppressors as people who needed salvation. We may learn from them to keep our focus on the goal. God wants all people to come to know him. Our response to ridicule may determine whether we get the chance to share our faith. Even as I write, we have missionaries in Paris who are trying to win the people there to Jesus. Jeffrey Louis, who grew up at Tallowood, is competing in the Olympics. His life there is also an extension of Tallowood’s witness to the people there.
The words of missionary E. Stanley Jones help us here: “The early Christians succeeded because they did not lower their heads in despair and say, ‘Look what the world has come to.’ Instead, they lifted their eyes in delight and said, ‘Look Who has come to the world.’” Parodies and persecution may well continue in our lifetime. Let us follow the example of Paul and Silas. Our worship in the hearing of mockers has seismic potential.
