In our class on worldviews we talked about suffering being a necessary part of a Christian’s journey. We discussed the story in Acts when Peter and John were ordered by the religious authorities not to speak in the name of Jesus. Their response was to preach to the very people who were stopping them! Their conviction was that they must obey God rather than people and when they were released by the authorities, they rejoiced that God had considered them worthy of suffering disgrace for His namesake.

For someone who is from an honor and shame culture, it is mind-boggling to understand the wilful taking on of shame which is not rightfully my own. My life’s endeavour is to gain honor and avoid shame. Jesus Himself came from an honor and shame culture. Yet, He took my shame. The Son of God hung on a cross, naked, because of His love for sinners like me. Such love is incomprehensible to me.

My response to potential disgrace is fear. Fear is a crippling feeling, because I am not sure which direction I should follow. I am afraid of what people will say or think. I am afraid that I will do the wrong thing. But, God is reminding me to look to His grace, to be encouraged by the evidence of His power which is at work through me. He reminds me to take my eyes off myself and others, and to look to Him, to hear His commands and to focus on being faithful to Him, not on protecting my honor.

So what should I do in the face of disgrace? Scripture teaches that we love, because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). I cannot continue walking in faith in spite of people’s hurtful words, if I have not experienced and believed in Christ’s love for me. I cannot forgive and continue to love people who hurt me, if I don’t first accept Christ’s unconditional love that embraced me when I rejected Him.

What can I do when I am hated without cause? My natural response is to withdraw and no longer engage with those who have hurt me. That however, was not Christ’s response. What a privilege it is to know this love! To be fully accepted not by my own merit, but because of Christ.

Can I hold captive someone whose debt is much smaller than my own (Matt 18:33)? By the grace of God, I won’t. He empowers me to forgive. There is great freedom in forgiveness and love! I praise God that I can love without fear or reservation, because of Christ’s perfect love for me (1 John 4:18).