Advent-ure December 16: Person of the Year

In 1st Thessalonians 4, we can see how our demeanor is to be driven by God's love and a desire to please Him, not seeking to be recognized, except for what brings glory and honor to Him.  We can
read:
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;
11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,
12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The pursuit of fame can certainly distract a person from his or her devotion to God.  Now, there will be occasions when people become known by large numbers of people - and that can be an opportunity to allow God to be glorified.  But, our goal is obedience, not recognition; our attitude is humility, not to self-promotion.  If we are motivated by our love for Christ, He will create a desire to serve others and to do our work unto Him.

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We are now into the last full week before Christmas, and continuing to walk through the Faith Radio Advent Guide, available in the latest Ministry Magazine and through a free download on the FaithRadio.org website.  The guide highlights 25 Christmas traditions from various countries of the world, and hopefully can help us to consider that God is working all over the globe.

On Saturday, the 14th, the country was Spain, where, according to WhyChristmas.com, there are Epiphany Parades. Twelve days after Christmas, parades honor the “3 Kings” in the Spanish Epiphany: Gaspar (frankincense), Melchior (gold), and Belshazzar (myrrh). The corresponding Scripture is Matthew 2, verse 10 and 11.

The same site mentions the celebration of Colindatul in Romania, the country that is the focus of Sunday, the 15th, in which children sing carols from house to house on Christmas Eve, and receive treats for their performance. Adults go carol singing on Christmas Day. Psalm 96, verses 1 and 2, the corresponding Scripture verses, highlight singing to the Lord.

Now, we come to Day 16, and we shift our Advent journey to the continent of Asia.  The country is China, where Christmas is celebrated in the underground church.  As I state in the Faith Radio Advent Guide:

Christians gathering to commemorate the holiday, specifically those in “underground” churches, face difficulty. The South China Morning Post says that, as of last year, officials have “more power to act against churches and impose tougher penalties for ‘unauthorised religious gatherings.’”

Now, I will say, there are still Christmas celebrations throughout the nation, but as the SCMP website points out, there are some municipalities that are banning Christmas decorations.  And, believers in Christ continue to meet in secret.

The corresponding Scripture passage is from Ephesians chapter 5:
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord...

This passage can help us to think about how we should walk humbly with our God, not seeking recognition, but seeking to be obedient to God.  And, for the persecuted church, including the underground church in China, the less public notoriety, the better.

The TIME Magazine "Person of the Year" has been named, and the award goes to climate activist Greta Thunberg.  Interestingly enough, readers were given the opportunity to vote, and they chose the Hong Kong protesters, who, as we know, are railing against the Chinese government's influence and power in their nation-state.  

Dan Andros, Managing Editor of Faithwire, writes:

Since the mainstream media would prefer to prop someone up who sounds the alarm on their pet political issues of the day rather than people out there doing things truly worthy of recognition, here is a list of a few other people the media would likely never give serious consideration to an honor such as this.

The most obvious omission was the protesters in Hong Kong. In fact, they actually won Time’s reader poll but were overruled by the editors. Their inspirational courage in the face of oppression has gripped the attention and hearts of many around the world, especially in America because of all the American flags and songs that have appeared throughout the protests.

Andros offers some other alternative choices, most of whom have experienced persecution in other countries.  One of them is a Chinese pastor, Wang Yi, about whom Andros writes:

Prominent Chinese pastor Wang Yi was arrested along with around 100 Christians in his congregation following threats from government officials to shut the church by the end of the year.

He of course, bravely refused and ended up suffering the consequences.

Later he would publish a powerful letter about civil disobedience, which he instructed to be published should he ever be detained by government authorities for more than 48 hours.

Two Christians who were released from captivity last year, Asia Bibi, who had been imprisoned in Pakistan for violating the country's strict blasphemy laws, and Andrew Brunson, an American pastor who had been detained in Turkey, would also qualify for Andros' list.

Andros had another unique choice on his list.  He writes:

Founder of the Free Burma Rangers, Dave Eubank made national news when he brazenly risked his own life to save a young girl from near certain death at the hands of ISIS. His heroics were caught on camera and undeniable, running across open ground as bullets flew by, to rescue a young girl hiding under the body of her dead mother.

He has gone into a number of war zones to help those who are suffering, according to Andros, who reports that he most recently went into Syria to help "civilians getting bombarded by Turkish drone strikes after the announced American pullout from northeast Syria." He notes, "Eubank regularly cries out to Jesus and prays fervently, believing in God’s sovereignty over all situations he finds himself in." 

Kanye West also made the Andros list, about whom he wrote: "If reporters in the media considered influencing people for Jesus a worthy cause, perhaps they’d be a little more excited about putting Kanye West on the cover of the magazine."

Dan Andros called Greta Thunberg a "climate alarmist," but that's what seems to appeal to many in the media and politics today.  We do need to consider that Christians should exhibit concern about the environment, recognizing that caring for God's creation is a serious responsibility - but we should never get to a point where we worship the earth, and certainly we should be merchants dealing in truth, rather than alarmists.  And, as Cal Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance has pointed out, an extreme view on the environment can have negative effects on the poor.

The TIME Person of the Year could certainly be considered a prestigious award, although it is one news media outlet's opinion on who is making "news."  For the believer in Christ, our purpose should never be to achieve selfish recognition, but to be obedient.  And, if recognition comes, then the glory goes back to Him.  Our calling is not to be famous, although some will be, but ultimately, to make Him famous.  We should relish the praise of God much more than the praise of men.