Colton Wyatt’s Reviews > The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected > Status Update

“The Bible instructs us to pray for our spiritually oppressed brothers and sisters. Sometimes, it is not helpful or wise to go beyond that instruction and share their stories.” - Nik Ripken, pp.187-188

The author makes this statement after telling a story about a Christian magazine that unwittingly helped expose underground fellowships to the communist government of a former Iron Curtain government. Insane.

“I was sure that I had never been told that a father should value his faith over his family.”
- Ripken, p.177

I read Jesus’ words yesterday: “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison - your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even your own life” (Luke 14:26a-c NLT).

The Ukrainian pastors in chapter 21 lived - and died - by these words of Jesus.

“… what if persecution is the normal, expected situation for a [Christian] believer? And what if the persecution is, in fact, soil in which faith can grow? What if persecution can be, in fact, good soil?” - Nik Ripken, The Insanity of God, p. 162

Like the author once did, I tend to see persecution as a problem to avoid, not good soil. But I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in John 12:24. Food for thought.