When we take it seriously, many will view it strangely. It’s the reason spectators were always puzzled why Christian martyrs died singing; it’s the reason so many kings and rulers expected the Church to give up following Jesus after he died, and it’s the reason persecution throughout history caused the Church to grow even more.
Every time unbelievers expected the Church to perish, she persevered. When the world expected her to bow before her imperatives, she overcame the odds and did the opposite.
As we look around today, more than ever, we need to live out our faith with utmost seriousness. But how does this seriousness fleshes itself out? When you ask an unbeliever to characterize a Christian, it’s not uncommon for some to say that Christians are sad. This was Nietszche’s critique of Christianity—that we are dull! That’s an unfortunate assessment because the Christian who walks around in constant sadness does not represent the Gospel well. He perpetuates the claim of the unbeliever that we are a joyless people.
