“…because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you…If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”
Twenty three year old Darlene Deibler, and her husband Russell, were missionaries on the remote island of New Guinea prior to the Second World War. She was, in fact, the first woman to travel to the interior of the island which was, at the time, inhabited by multiple tribal groups. They began ministering to the people of the island and preaching the Gospel. After a couple years working on the island, they were evacuated to Indonesia when word came of the Japanese invasion in the area. They were eventually arrested and each taken to separate Japanese internment camps. Russell died in his camp a short time later while Darlene endured four years of forced labor, torture, starvation, illness and threats of execution.
In the midst of these conditions she chose to call out in prayer, “Lord, I trust You. I give this back to You. I’m still going to rejoice in You. I’m still going to follow You.” While experiencing this persecution she became a leader in the camp and a spokesperson for the women and children. She held daily Bible study and prayer sessions. Her encouragement not only supported the other prisoners but also eventually resulted in the conversion of the Japanese camp commander to Christianity. She held on to her joy while battling her circumstances. Darlene was eventually liberated, returned to the United States, met her second husband Jerry, returned to the islands together to minister until both passed away in 2004.
What is Joy? One definition is:
A fruit of the Spirit. Comforting, content and full of peace. An enduring attitude of the heart and spirit, and a natural part of the Christian faith.
While Happiness can be seen as:
an emotion, often sparked by a particular moment or event that brings a sense of excitement or exhilaration.
So the emotion of happiness stems from outside influences. The environment can determine an individual’s state. Positive outcomes can lead to an elevated sense of happiness while negative occurrences can lead to sadness and discontentment. Joy, however, is seen more as an internal state. Unwavering in the face of hardship. It is the stone foundation that keeps the house steady in the face of storms while happiness can be imagined as the sandy base that shifts with the prevailing climate.
We can see the same sense of joy in the face of persecution in the book of Acts when Peter and John were beaten for preaching in the name of Jesus then rejoicing in joy for having been found to be worthy of persecution for his name:
“and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.“ (Acts 5:40-41)
Whereas some may believe that people are no longer dying for their faith as was the case in earlier biblical times, Christian persecution to the point of martyrdom is alive and well today. In countries like North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India.
And what about in Western countries like the US, Canada, and in western Europe? While we may not see the degree of persecution as is present in other parts of the world, Christians still must face hardship for their beliefs. During COVID, as we know, churches were closed and we were prevented from worshiping together and from receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. We know of business owners, such as bakers and florists, who were sued by the state for refusing to participate in same sex marriages. The State of Illinois demanded that Catholic Charities adopt children to same sex couples resulting in the organization to cease adoption practices in the state. Pregnancy Care Centers are being threatened with fines and closure if they do not make abortions or abortion referrals a part of their business model. And let’s not forget the extreme rise in Anti-Semitism in recent months resulting in insult and attack waged against Jews, particularly on university campuses around the world.
Why is this persecution being aimed at people of faith? Well Jesus stated the reason very clearly at the end of today’s Gospel.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me.”
From the beginning of time, especially since Jesus died, rose and ascended for us, people of faith have been marginalized and persecuted by the secular world. We are not unique in this sense. But how do we respond to threats against our faith? What we don’t do, I believe, is to shout, complain, throw up our hands or, in the words of one preacher I read while researching for this reflection, “throw our toys out of the pram.” Similar saying to the phrase in America, “I’m going to take my ball and go home”.
After all, Jesus TOLD us this was going to happen. He prepared the Apostles and He is preparing us. It was never supposed to be easy. All He asks of us is to live as He lived. By modeling a life lived in Christ to the world. Recognizing that today, just like in Jesus’ time, the majority will not be with us and will most likely be against us. But we are to respond by taking our cue from the joy that filled Darlene Deibler. And also as seen in the words of St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians while he was languishing in prison:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.“
