Valiant Sixty (& the Boring 600)

Wednesday, April 18th, 2007

Tonight in the small group I’m facilitating we talked about the Valiant Sixty, the group of over 60 Friends who went out into the world in pairs and groups and proclaimed the exciting news of the fact that Christ was there to speak to people himself. These men and women did amazing things and experienced extreme persecution, all for the sake of proclaiming Truth and sharing the joy and hope they’d found.  Some of them were even martyred for their faith.
One person in our group reminded us that there were many other Friends who stayed home and did their normal work, took food to those imprisoned, and put money into the traveling ministry fund so that others could make the trips they did. She termed this group the “Boring 600,” and made the point that the Valiant 60 couldn’t have done what they did without these other Friends.

Good point! But then we started talking about who the “Valiant 60″ are today. We can’t all be part of the Boring 600, no matter how much more comfortable it makes us.

So here are some queries our group pondered: What are some things we’re feeling called to today? Our world isn’t perfect, so what sorts of injustice are we called to fight now? How are we called to be counter-cultural, not just for the sake of being different but because we cannot live in a way that is unjust toward others?

What is there that we believe is worth being imprisoned or dying for?

Is it possible to be passionate and radical about our faith when we aren’t being persecuted for it?

Are you willing to be a member of today’s “Valiant Sixty” if God calls you to do so?  What are you not willing to give up?

P.S.  I ask these questions just as much of myself as anyone else!

Wednesday Nights

2 Responses to “Valiant Sixty (& the Boring 600)”

  1. ROY GATHERCOAL Says:
    April 20th, 2007 at 9:58 am

    The “rich young ruler” who came to Jesus to ask “what must I do to be saved?” offers us an insight into what God expects of us.

    After affirming that the young man loved God and served those around him (if only we would all get this far, even!), Jesus told the young man, “sell all you have and follow me.”

    Everyone was sad as the young man walked away.

    The point here is specifically *not* that this young man was somehow a “one-person parable.” If so, it has no place in Scriptures, which are for our teaching and learning about God.

    It is because we are exactly like that rich young man that the parable is important. God may or may not require us to give up all our earthly possessions and to walk away from our relationships with our families and friends.

    The question is: “Are you willing?”

    The reason we don’t see the “Valiant Sixty” today is simple. There are not sixty willing to trust God for everything.

    We have reason to hope: God is moving in people’s lives and is seeking out (as always) the Valiant sixty for the 21st century. If we are willing to sacrifice everything for our “pearl of great price” then God can trust us with God’s mission on earth.

    Until then we will continue in the same lukewarm way.

    Roy

  2. ROY GATHERCOAL Says:
    April 20th, 2007 at 10:04 am

    PS: If we were truly passionate and committed to our faith, we would be persecuted. Not because being persecuted is a virtue, but because such a passionate pursuit of anything would make us different, so very different.

    The early Friends, like the early Christians, were given an easy “out.” If they were willing to go home and stop preaching, everything would be forgiven.

    It is because they didn’t say “how could I stop preaching of God?” they were persecuted. (I wonder how many took that “out” and quietly went home, to resume their “normal” lives without persecution?)

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