You may be right; it’s not unusual today for religious people (especially Christians) to be mocked or scorned because of their faith. And even when they aren’t openly attacked, their moral and spiritual values are rejected.

I often think in this connection of one of Jesus’ parables. (You can read it in Matthew 13:24-30.) In it, He told about a farmer who sowed wheat seed in his field — only to have an enemy come along and secretly sow seed from weeds. Only when both seeds sprouted and grew was it clear what had happened — and the only solution was to let them grow together until harvest, when they could be separated and the weeds destroyed. This, Jesus said, is like the world we live in: Good and evil will both grow stronger, until God judges the world and all evil is destroyed.

Does this mean we should just sit back and not worry about those who oppose the Gospel or promote immorality? No, of course not. Jesus said we should be like salt and light to a decaying and dark world (see Matthew 5:13-16). The Bible also calls us to be “blameless and pure… without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe” (Philippians 2:15).

Pray for our nation, and pray for those who are seeking to uphold righteousness. Pray too that your life will be an example to others of Christ’s love and transforming power.