“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendents may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them”
Deut. 30: 19-20.
Love is a choice. St Genesius understood that as he stood upon the stage finally acknowledging Christ as his Saviour. It was a choice which would mean martyrdom for him, for as he declared his love for the Lord, the emperor and the government of Rome would see it as a rejection of their beliefs and the state’s power. There are many who will not understand a Christian’s choice for Christ, other Christians among them. For a follower of Christ to say, “I am the King’s good servant, but God’s first” is a puzzle for many. It is a puzzle for governments today as we see in many places in the world, including the country which calls itself the land of the free. We may need courage to make that choice, but grace will be given, and so too the vision, for as we choose Christ, we choose Life himself, the One who has prepared a place for us in the land he promised to Abraham and his descendents forever.
Among our intentions today, let us also pray for Christians suffering for their faith.
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