The Air Force Academy recently promoted Operation Christmas Child (OCC), inviting cadets to participate in the charity program. Soon afterward, however, the Academy retracted its promotion of OCC. As it turns out, critics condemned the promotion of OCC and accused the Academy of “religious intolerance.” The founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, who spearheaded the complaint, describes the Academy’s promotion of OCC as “arrogance beyond measure.” He denounces OCC as a “proselytizing entity of Franklin Graham,” whom he describes as a “total enemy of the Constitution.” He finds offense in the fact that Samaritan’s Purse, OCC’s sponsoring body, expressly declares that the primary purpose of the program is to open doors to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. He insists that it was inappropriate for the Academy’s leadership to take such action, and the Academy chose to give in to the pressure.
Regardless of your position concerning this issue, it does give credence to Jesus’ warning to his disciples that there will be those who will oppose any action done in Jesus’ name. “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you” (John 15.18–19 The Message). The apostle Paul echoes this when he writes: “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3.12 NIV). Or, as The Message version would put it: “Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it.”
Critics of Christian evangelistic efforts continue to denounce them as intolerant religious behavior. They insist that Christians should keep their faith to themselves … even doing good works in the name of Christ. I do find it insanely curious how people who reject Christ claim to know how those who follow Christ should live out their commitment to Christ. But we get our instructions from Christ. And he tells us: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28.19 NIV). And that is what faithful followers will continue to do.
—Keith Y. Jainga