Have you ever read anything that you had to go back and read it again and again because every word hit you like a ton of bricks, yet you were still fighting your disbelief? … I just read an article published in a Hungarian news outlet, … and I’m deeply saddened and at loss for words.
First it equated “belonging to the Hungarian far right” with “being a Christian”. Then it stated that it was “necessary to eradicate this type of ideology from the souls of people in order for Hungary to become a respected nation in the world again.”
According to this article “Christians believe that they should enjoy privileges in this world simply because they are Christians. They have the right to live well without being educated or intelligent, to hold their nose up and look down on anyone who is not a Christian […], to get special treatment from society, […] This kind does not learn. If they were brought up in this spirit, they are hopeless. […] they are selfish and cowardly, they might bow before the new order, but in the depths of their heart they forever cry back the right-wing, Christian, nationalist world, within which it was so beautiful to rob Jewish property, assassinate competitors, or lead large corporations without any expertise. […] This kind never changes. And as long as they have a word or influence, Hungary will not be a nation.”
…
I’m not sure where to start.
First, you need to know that before its not-so-recent communist past Hungary used to be predominantly Roman Catholic. The government in power at the present upholds those traditional values despite being constantly attacked for it by the EU. Obviously, this article was written by the opposition, but sadly, it also describes the general view of “Christians” by the great majority of the EU today. Going there as a Christian evangelist just a few years ago still wasn’t this bad. But since then, the word “Christian” took on a long list of additional meanings most of which light strong resentment in people. Today we face open, fiery hostility.
People simply would refuse to believe that being a TRUE Christian means that:
– we understand our own deprived nature more than them
– we strive to eliminate all pride in ourselves because we know that we are not good, we are only forgiven
– despite to them looking like we are out of touch with reality, in fact we are in touch with the deeper, eternal reality, which they cannot see
– when we meet an unbeliever, we see them as precious children of our God, who without turning to Him, will face eternal suffering. So, when we tell them about Jesus, we are not being judgmental, arrogant, or intolerant, but we do it out of our love and concern for them.
– And finally, us, true Christians would never bow before anyone, but Christ. Not because we would have no fear of persecution, but because the Holy Spirit in our heart makes us not able to do so.
Some of the statements in the article eerily remind me of an era described in Revelation. Having the view that it is necessary to eradicate Christian ideology from the souls of people strongly points toward a world where being a follower of Jesus won’t be tolerated. Also, the article didn’t give details about what “new order” should Christians bow before, but I’m sure that too sounds familiar to many of us.
So yes, after getting over my initial shock, reading these words just confirmed my conviction that no matter how negatively we are perceived, no matter how passionately we are hated, no matter the intimidation, and even the impending persecution, the need to tell people how much Christ loves them has never been more pressing.
