60 Minutes did a piece recently interviewing Patriarch Bartholomew, the official leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, a body of about 300 Million people – the approximate population of the United States.

You’d think that with that kind of following they’d be in good company, but no – they are in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople).  This city in Turkey has been the dividing line between East and West – Muslim and Christian.  Istanbul stands at 99% Muslim, with only about 4,000 Greek Orthodox dotting the city landscape.  While 60 Minutes was taping the interview, Bartholomew was informed another attempt had been made on his life.

How do you love your neighbor in such a circumstance?

In fact, this is one instance when we can literally ask, “What Would Jesus Do?” because there is a record of this exact situation.  Surrounded by people furious at his very existence, Jesus used the opportunity not to lay down and die, but to be crucified on a hill for all the world to see.  This wasn’t self-righteousness, it was displaying what love looks like in public.

Some might say that Christianity always has the most trouble truly communicating it’s raison d’être in an environment where it is generally accepted or revered as the cultural norm.  Christianity was born into a political and social circumstance where exile, humiliation and persecution where expected by all followers of Jesus.  That’s why in Matthew 5:11 when Jesus said “When (not IF) you are persecuted you are blessed by God.”  He supposes that each person who chooses to live the alternative lifestyle of Jesus Christ will by their very nature be targets of mockery and destruction by others.  And what do you do when (not ‘if’) it happens?  Two things: remember that prophets who came before you were also persecuted, and then turn the other cheek.

But what about in America?

Even in an age when statistically few people are actively engaging a Christian faith, most see America as a “Christian Nation” if only in name.  Even still, you can bet that Christians living out the Christ life will have it confirmed to them when they find themselves being persecuted.  Live different, and there will always be dissenters trying to rope you back into the mainstream.  Our political system might keep you from getting executed (by the Government anyway,) but keep showing your love – and you will be attacked.  It will take you to jail, make you misunderstood and maligned by friends, and harassed by cynics, hypocrites and nay-sayers. You will be given threats at every level to stop shaking up the status-quo.  You will be underfunded and overexposed.

And if you’re reading this today and can’t think of a time when you were brought down to your knees for your beliefs – maybe its because that’s all they were — beliefs.  Put some of your radical beliefs into action.  Loving your enemies, being a peace-maker, mourning with those who mourn…it will quickly make you see just how surrounded you are by people who don’t understand you – but nevertheless keep at it – they are desperately in need of Love.

Stop for just a moment and think.  Clear your mind and take a breath.  Consider your worldview – your perspectives, points of view, political leanings, religious beliefs…the very lens through which you see your world.  Now, think carefully – who is the person that represents the most complete opposite end of the spectrum?  Generally, humans reserve trust and friendship with people they believe are most like them – and tend to demonize and stereotype those most different from them.

For many in America today, conservative Christians and the liberal secularists are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  One tends to hang out on Sunday mornings, the other on Saturday nights.  One votes for the Democrat, the other votes for the Republican.   The worst evil for one is social deviance, whereas the other shuns bigotry.  One is urban, one is suburban.  One wears suits, the other has dreadlocks.    One is PC one is Mac.  You get the picture.

Both live in worlds in which the other has no place.  Both exist in tight bubbles that exclude others.  In these secluded tribes, they can lob ideological grenades at other tribes and receive comfort from their peers.  All the while the chasm between people and Truth grows wider.

I had never heard of Matthew Raley when I picked up The Diversity Culture: Creating Conversations of Faith with Buddhist Baristas, Agnostic Students, Aging Hippies, Political Activists, and Everyone in Between. He speaks to this reality of ideological tribalism with humility and truth.  He draws on the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the well, [youversion]John 4:1-26[/youversion], as a prime example of how Jesus engaged the “other” not as a propped-up caricature, but as a unique individual.  Samaritans and Jews distrusted each other politically, religiously, and even the other tribe’s very right to exist. Sounds familiar even today, doesn’t it?

Jesus sat down next to the well, and began to cross barriers – claiming that mistakes had been made in both Jewish and Samaritan tribes in the identity of the other – both groups had inherited from their tribesmen lies about the other group.  When she showed signs that she was willing to take people (and life) case by case (rather than broad brushing stereotypes) he was able to work with her – and introduce her to the Living Water.

But herein lies the rub – do people make life-changing decisions about faith and worldview as a group, or as individuals?  Raley says its about “crowbar-ing people away from their groupthink” (whether Christian or secular or whatever) and asking them to think critically about what they personally believe to be true.  It is at this point that I think I differ from Raley.

I agree that to really help someone think critically about an issue, sometimes you have to remove their normal filters and lenses their culture gives them and let them try their best to think for themselves.  Other times there’s just not enough will-power in the person to do that, and if done properly, “salvation can come to the whole household,” as it does all over Acts.  Sometimes people come to Christ as individuals, extricated from their culture (Ethiopian eunuch, Samaritan woman at the well), and sometimes its through their community (Philippian jailer’s family, Cornelius’ household, etc.).

He admits that most people in the “Diversity Culture” as he coins it, grow up with a “street postmodernism” – and are not really sure why they hold such pluralistic views – they know perfectly well that right and wrong exist, but “what they don’t necessarily know is how to integrate unchanging principles into lives that are full of change.” (Raley, 50) Christians too believe things without knowing exactly why – and they still are distrustful of those with different views.  What ends up happening is a world full of people who hate each other for reasons they can’t explain.  Back to stereotypes.

Remember that archetypal person who you distrust the most, and put an actual face on them – someone you know at work, etc.  Find their uniqueness – something that shatters the stereotype you have of them.  Maybe its a hipster who listens to Kenny-G, or a liberal who secretly watches reruns of Glenn Beck.  You might just find yourself like the Samaritan woman at the well did, face to face with a the most important relationship of your life that you never saw coming.

This past month I’ve spent focused on “Warfare Spirituality.” I did this by reading through Conformed to His Image, by Kenneth Boa. In this pretty massive book, he takes a look at 12 different facets of the Christian faith: devotional spirituality, holistic spirituality, corporate spirituality, etc. It is very clear to me that this particular facet of my spirituality is anemic. I want to become more attuned to the war going on all around me.

C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters has a great quote in reference to humanity’s awareness of the war – “There are two equal and opposite errors into with our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors.”

There is a war going on, if we have eyes to see it. When we pray, God sends helpers and messengers to the front lines, (where we are stationed) to protect us. [youversion]2 Tim 2:3,4[/youversion]  Daniel prayed for help, and God sent an angel, but was detained for 3 weeks by a spirit who seemed to control the Kingdom of Persia before he called for backup and was able to penetrate the Kingdom and arrive at Daniel’s side. How often do I simply think that God just didn’t want to answer my prayers or would rather me suffer? He is in battle – putting to death the Devil, the sinful systems of the world, and even my own flesh – in order to reconcile all of us to Him. Much of my life I allow my perspective to remain narrowed all the way into the one task in the battle I am focused on. I forget the global strategy taking place.

Boa describes the war being fought on three fronts – the world, the flesh, and the Devil. [youversion]Eph 2:1-3[/youversion] These three are repeated themes all throughout the Bible, both in New and Old Testaments. Devils and angels are mentioned hundreds of times throughout the texts, and it seems that many of the great men and women of faith simply lived with the awareness of a battle for humanity going on all around them.

Flesh - We are personally and completely wrapped up in this battle, and on occasion find ourselves captives of the other side. We have all been hostages of the Evil One, who knows our greatest weakness – our own Self. Our “flesh” as the Bible puts it, is what makes us easy targets for the Devil. The flesh cannot be reformed or improved; it can only be put to death. [youversion]Gal 5:24[/youversion] That’s what begins to happen when we “crucify ourselves to Christ.” This means that as followers of Jesus Christ we have the upper-hand in the battle against the flesh – Christ has killed off our flesh, and now we are a new kind of flesh – “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old is gone, and the new is here!” [youversion]2 Cor 5:17[/youversion]

World - The Powers that Be by Walter Wink is a powerful book that pulls back the curtain of our social structures that make up the “world” that is the second battle line we are fighting. [youversion]Eph 6:12[/youversion]  This is clearly not the God-affirming parts of the human cultures (love and care of neighbor, peace-making, care of the environment, practicing justice, et cetera). But there are parts of this world that are systematically opposed to the “new creation” God is setting up in his Kingdom. Think of the corruption of politics to favor the rich and disable the poor, ethnic groups oppressing others, massive marketing campaigns designed to infiltrate your thoughts and dreams…the list could go on… This system…this MATRIX…goes so deep that no human revolution could ever overcome it, because within each human group is the seeds of its own destruction.

Devil - No believer can afford to ignore the strategy of such a powerful adversary! He wants to be “like the Most High” [youversion]Isa 14:14[/youversion] seeking worship and service from humanity. He conceals himself as an “angel of light” [youversion]2 Cor 11:13-15[/youversion] sometimes giving good things but by the wrong means or the wrong reasons. He deceives governments [youversion]Rev 20:3[/youversion]. He promotes the pursuit of the occult for hidden knowledge [youversion]Deut 18:9-13[/youversion]. And he of course is the reason and cause of all death on earth [youversion]Job 2:1-7[/youversion], [youversion]Acts 10:38[/youversion], [youversion]Heb 2:14[/youversion].

Specifically against followers of God, he sees his central diabolical focus – He aims to unhinge the ministry of believers [youversion]Luke 22:31[/youversion], persecution [youversion]Rev 2:10[/youversion], seduces humanity away from God [youversion]Gen 3:1-5[/youversion], convinces believers of their guilt and inadequacy, and encourages believers to rely on their own strength [youversion]2 Chron 16:7-10[/youversion].

Why all the Scriptures? Why focus on the battle if in Christ its already won? Simple – just look around. Here in the West there is such little awareness of the battle – and even among Christians there is a tacit and practical disbelief in the Devil’s power, the world’s oppression, and the flesh’s corruption. This is like a snake handler in a circus unaware that the boa constrictor is wrapping itself around his body, slowly suffocating him and crushing him completely.

The best tactic the Devil has used in the West is to convince all of us that he doesn’t exist. He wants full control over us – more than any demon possession we may read about in the Bible or hear news about from our 3rd world missionaries.  We have the chance to take advantage of the strength of Christ to crush Satan’s head and escape from his suffocating grip.  It starts by being aware of Satan’s power, and his strategies to distract, discourage and disable us from our life of worship to God.