Where Culture and Faith Collide

Day 3

By Brittany Jacobson

Over the last three days here in Turkey, we’ve found ourselves retracing a clash of kingdoms. 

Today, we ventured to Hieropolis, Colossae, and Laodicea, and every lesson continued to teach us how incredibly difficult it must have been to be an early Jesus follower. Being a Christian meant being ostracized. It meant no longer being able to participate in basic life events. It meant facing a plethora of statues of gods and goddesses. Even currency was a reminder of Greek and Roman propaganda. 

And yet, we can see such a distinct “But God” scenario playing out - where many disciples like Philip relentlessly shared the gospel despite hardship and persecution. 

Their hard work, determination, and deep admiration for the Good News of Jesus literally changed the world: In a 300-year time period, no less. 

Philip, who was a major player in today’s walk around Hieropolis (a once bustling town of nearly 110,000 people in its hay day), understood what many of us still strive for today in our Western churches. Philip understood the importance of seeing people as a gift. He didn’t see them as projects to be fixed. He saw them for who they were: beautiful, intricate images of a most Holy and Creative God. 

Philip was 84 when he was crucified outside of the city, and spent years pouring into those around him. The healing waters of the Hieropolis mineral pools attracted thousands of people seeking relief from various medical maladies. And yet Philip had the ultimate answer to healing in this city: the power of the resurrected Jesus. 

He didn’t shy away from spreading that news, and because of his love for his new faith community - seeing those around him as brothers and sisters in Christ - the church in this area flourished. 

Today was an incredible reminder that living life for Christ has very little to do with my ideals, what I think people need to learn, or even who I think people should become. It has everything to do with the fact that Jesus loved all, served all, and saw the intrinsic value in each one of us - despite our flaws and our ugly. Philip lived this at a time where it was unpopular to love, and ultimately lost his life because of it. 

At Laodicea we were reminded of the sin of self-sufficiency. That it literally makes God sick (Seriously, Revelation 3:16 says, “I’m about to spit you out of my mouth”). When I put these two themes together, they’re not so different at all. 

It is only through the power of Jesus that we can learn to love like Him - and like Paul, like Philip, like Epaphras. It is only through Jesus we learn how to live in our own clash of kingdoms - where culture and faith collide. I don’t have to rely on myself to complete these tasks. In fact, I’m not even meant to. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, just like he says in Revelation 3. He’s patiently waiting for us to invite him into our stories, because he’s graciously and humbly invited us into His story of redemption. 

May we never lose sight of the magnitude and depth of that privilege; to walk alongside a creative God who laid down all power and authority he could have claimed - for our sake.