A Quiet & Holy People

"This seems a cheerful world, Donatus, when I view it from this fair garden under the shadow of the vines. But if I climbed some great mountain and looked out over the wide lands you know very well what I would see; brigands on the high road, pirates on the seas, in the ampitheaters men murdered to please the applauding crowds, under all roofs misery and selfishness. Its a really bad world Donatus, an incredibly bad world. Yet in the midst of it I found a quiet and holy people. They have discovered a joy which is a thousand times better than this sinful life. They are despised and persecuted but they care not. These people Donatus are the Christians, and I am one of them."

Cyprian; 3rd century

Having watched the news over lunch, I note that today we still have news of brigands on the road "shaking down" moterists in Texas. We still have pirates off the coast of Somalia. There may not be many ampitheaters at the moment where men are being murdered for the pleasure of the crowds, but  there are some in the international courts - and some who should be - who have murdered many for pleasure. There is no doubt misery and selfishness under most roofs. I guess it would be safe to say that after 17 centuries man has not progressed very far.

What about those quiet and holy people? Are they still out there?

Not all who are called Christians today can be described with these words.

I would like to be.

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony."  (Col 3:12-14 NLT)