I CAN’T remember a time when I wasn’t a ‘history buff’. It certainly explains why I chose to be a history teacher before I became a pastor. I am so glad too, because studying history has taught me so many important lessons, not least the importance of examining the evidence before reaching a conclusion. Just as importantly though, I just love the unexpected details. My life would be infinitely poorer for example if I hadn’t learned that the emperor Nero held a party in honour of his first shave!

Over the years I have also discovered that we often hear echoes of our own challenges in the experience of those who lived a long time ago. Take the current concerns about immigration and the strident calls to defend British (Christian) culture. As I understand it there were similar issues in first century Rome. In one sense Rome had been founded on immigration but it’s obvious that over the years this brought its challenges. We can see from the following comment attributed to the Roman historian Tacitus: ‘In the capital appalling customs and disgraceful practices from across the world are forever cross-pollinating and becoming fashionable’ In other words, those immigrants were not ‘becoming Roman’. That sounds a bit familiar!

What might come as a bit of a surprise to some of us though is the fact that, according to one well-respected historian no people in the world were thought to have ‘customs more perverse and ludicrous’ than the Jews, which is why the authorities periodically tried to expel them. Christians, it would appear were even worse. Their founder was an executed criminal, and they were thought to be motivated by ‘a hatred for the norms of human society, contempt for the gods and scorn for all those not in their sect’. As a result, Nero was able to pin the blame on them for the great fire that devastated Rome and to engage in the most barbarous and theatrical period of persecution imaginable.

All this helps me understand the real challenge, as well as the continuing relevance, of the advice the apostle Paul gave his Christian friends in Rome in the mid 50’s. ‘Bless those who persecute you’ he said, adding ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him’. He was only echoing the teaching of Jesus of course who had told his disciples “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you’.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the 20th anniversary of ‘Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church’ and I was reminded that more than 388 million Christians face persecution and discrimination today. Human nature does not change, nor does the challenge of being a Christian. Thankfully Jesus has promised His followers that it will all be worthwhile because those who are faithful will receive their reward in heaven.