After my initial grieving process over the implications of the homosexual marriage legalization by a rouge Supreme Court, and after remembering all I have in Christ is eternally secure, I have tried to take a less emotional, but fully realistic, view of the future of Christianity. I have read so many thoughtful articles, blogposts, and Facebook posts by famous writers, and ones not so famous like me, covering the full spectrum of Christian reaction.

Notice I said the future of Christianity, and not my country. I have been unable to spin a positive perspective for my country. It is almost the best we can hope for that inevitable, dark changes not come as quickly as possible. Coupled with a corresponding defeat of free speech in these days, I can’t prop up our political prospects no matter how hard I try.

I’ve read where some have admonished fellow Christians for our misguided hopes in the political system. That is a fair point, for sure. The next great, super-conservative politician has never had even the slightest chance to be our Messiah and we should have known better.

Some have also criticized our emphasis on pushing morals in politics and law as a subverting of the Gospel. While I agree that the Gospel must be kept prominent and clear, and morals stay in its place as the law of God and not the salvation of man, it is legitimate for Christians to use the means provided by the government they live under to speak for truth.

When Israel was a theocracy, morals were critical in every detail of government. When she changed to a monarchy that was less the case. By New Testament days when she was a people subservient to Rome, God’s people had nothing to do with government. Besides “rendering unto Caesar”, Jesus and Paul almost ignored government. They suffered at its hands, but did not seek to change it. A full-blown anti-God government called for persevering in spite of it. As long as our government allows a voice, we should speak it. When that freedom evaporates, we just go on until the Lord topples that government as He did the Roman Empire.

It is in those very New Testament days that we may find a roadmap for our future and how actually bright it might be. Greek culture was the dominant influence of the Roman Empire. Sexual immorality was rampant and broadly acceptable. Homosexuality was common, and though they saw no need of the charade of a marriage ceremony, it was considered normal and even “noble”.

Especially when Paul went on his missionary journeys, he ran headlong into this culture. There were no Christian laws and no Christians in government to propose them. Christians had no voice, lacked freedom of speech (remember all those arrests in Acts), and suffered strong persecution (remember the lions).

How did that go? It was in that very environment that the extraordinary events recorded in the Book of Acts took place. Quite frankly, they turned the world upside down for Jesus! The Gospel spread throughout the world. The more it was fought, the more it spread. That makes for quite awesome prospects.

I’m still quite bummed about the future of my country, but the future of Christianity is none diminished. That is my hope today.