In the Face of Evil
Dec 03, 2024 by Addison Crissone
Today's blog is written in honor of the release of my novel, The Yellow Badge. If you are still wondering what the book is about, I hope this will give you a little glimpse at the heart of the story.
Jesus warned the Disciples that they would face opposition and that many would not accept the Gospel message. But this time it was different. His people were being persecuted for simply being His, for their heritage. His people would first be oppressed, then betrayed, arrested, and interrogated. Millions have faced the opposition that Jesus promised in the Gospels and have faithfully withstood persecution of various kinds, even to the point of death, relying on the holy spirit to give them the words to say in the face of evil.
"What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. And do not fear those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul," (Matthew 10:27-28).
The fear of death runs strong, but God's people can overcome the fear of man and death with the knowledge of Jesus' victory on the cross. Through His victory over death and the grave, we can face the evil in this world.
The Bible never said anything about avoiding danger. For some, the Yellow Badge meant more than just reproach and persecution; it meant persistence and faith in the face of death. It meant bearing the consequences that it wrought and still trusting that God was with and for them.
We are all called to a gritty, physical, desperate, minute-by-minute faith. A faith that can stand in the face of death and persecution.
A faith that can stand in the face of evil.
"Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul."
- Matthew 1o:28
- Matthew 1o:28
When Jesus sent out the twelve Apostles in Matthew chapter 10, he knew they would be afraid. He knew that they would face opposition and persecution unlike any they had ever faced before. And He knew that some would even face death.
But still, he says, "Do not fear."
Do not be afraid of those who will hate, betray, persecute, and kill God's people. For when they have killed, they can do no more.
There has been no better example of these verses in history than during the Holocaust when the Jewish people were persecuted, oppressed, and killed at the hands of Nazi Germany in the heat of World War 2.
When Adolf Hitler imposed the order that all Jews were to wear a Yellow Badge in June of 1942, it was meant to alienate and separate the Jewish people. The badge was a yellow cloth in the form of a Star of David, with the German word "Jude" written on it, meaning Jew.
If you look up the meaning behind the Christian name 'Jude', you will find that it means "God is thanked".
But no Jew under persecution was thankful for this badge.
Rather, many despised it. It was a symbol of shame and reproach for all who wore it, and the Germans used it to slur and disgrace their Jewish heritage.
They knew that for them, the badge meant only one thing; death.
For the Christians who lived during World War 2, they witnessed the injustice and sheer evil that ruled the world around them. Everything that the Nazis had done went against their beliefs and moral code. But they, along with everyone else who opposed the Nazi Regime, had been silenced.
For every person who lived through the Holocaust, whether Jew, Dutch, French, Polish, American, or German, it meant death to speak up.
Silence meant security, but it also meant surrendering to the German Reich and their cruel injustice. It meant being neutral with the enemy and at war with God. Yes, for some silence was survival. But for others, it was a sin.
From his prison cell, Deitrich Bonhoeffer said,
But still, he says, "Do not fear."
Do not be afraid of those who will hate, betray, persecute, and kill God's people. For when they have killed, they can do no more.
There has been no better example of these verses in history than during the Holocaust when the Jewish people were persecuted, oppressed, and killed at the hands of Nazi Germany in the heat of World War 2.
When Adolf Hitler imposed the order that all Jews were to wear a Yellow Badge in June of 1942, it was meant to alienate and separate the Jewish people. The badge was a yellow cloth in the form of a Star of David, with the German word "Jude" written on it, meaning Jew.
If you look up the meaning behind the Christian name 'Jude', you will find that it means "God is thanked".
But no Jew under persecution was thankful for this badge.
Rather, many despised it. It was a symbol of shame and reproach for all who wore it, and the Germans used it to slur and disgrace their Jewish heritage.
They knew that for them, the badge meant only one thing; death.
For the Christians who lived during World War 2, they witnessed the injustice and sheer evil that ruled the world around them. Everything that the Nazis had done went against their beliefs and moral code. But they, along with everyone else who opposed the Nazi Regime, had been silenced.
For every person who lived through the Holocaust, whether Jew, Dutch, French, Polish, American, or German, it meant death to speak up.
Silence meant security, but it also meant surrendering to the German Reich and their cruel injustice. It meant being neutral with the enemy and at war with God. Yes, for some silence was survival. But for others, it was a sin.
From his prison cell, Deitrich Bonhoeffer said,
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.
God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak.
Not to act is to act."
God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak.
Not to act is to act."
Jesus warned the Disciples that they would face opposition and that many would not accept the Gospel message. But this time it was different. His people were being persecuted for simply being His, for their heritage. His people would first be oppressed, then betrayed, arrested, and interrogated. Millions have faced the opposition that Jesus promised in the Gospels and have faithfully withstood persecution of various kinds, even to the point of death, relying on the holy spirit to give them the words to say in the face of evil.
"What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. And do not fear those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul," (Matthew 10:27-28).
The fear of death runs strong, but God's people can overcome the fear of man and death with the knowledge of Jesus' victory on the cross. Through His victory over death and the grave, we can face the evil in this world.
The Bible never said anything about avoiding danger. For some, the Yellow Badge meant more than just reproach and persecution; it meant persistence and faith in the face of death. It meant bearing the consequences that it wrought and still trusting that God was with and for them.
We are all called to a gritty, physical, desperate, minute-by-minute faith. A faith that can stand in the face of death and persecution.
A faith that can stand in the face of evil.
