Putting your faith on the line

Putting your faith on the line. This was something that we had never faced in such a direct way. Our plans were to travel through a neighbouring country for a few days on the way home to Australia. For this, we needed visas. However, with predictable Central Asian unpredictability, the consulate would not see us.

So we sent someone on our behalf to present our papers. The message we received back was disconcerting. Any one of us would be called in to the consulate for individual interviews, focusing on 3 questions:

Are you a journalist?

Are you a Christian?

What intentions do you have in this country?

If we answered yes to any of these questions, we would be denied entry.Furthermore, they wanted details of our workplace or study in Australia. Some of us were theological students.

If we were denied entry, we couldn’t take our flight home to Australia. Or at least, we would have to spend 3 days in a notorious room in a Central Asian airport.

What was a truthful yet expedient answer? What was a wise answer? We felt that we were called to give an account of our faith, with something at stake. We were called to count the cost of discipleship.

We discussed and prayed about this matter, and realised that to bring honour to God, we were to speak truthfully, graciously, boldly, and wisely. We would not lie. And we would commit our welfare into the loving hands of our Father through prayer. We were to live by his grace.

Each one of us was ready to give an account of our faith, but trusting in God’s sovereignty. What eventuated was that the next day our entire team’s visas were granted without question or interview! God had granted us all we needed. Through this episode, had made us define our faith and put it on the line. And he brought us through.