As a child, I learned about “The Shot Heard Around the World” that was the “Spark of the Revolution” via School House Rock (yes, I will be humming that tune for the rest of the day.)
I was recently reminded of this simple slogan after reading a recent article, actually a series of articles, in The Federalist that caused me to think, what are our modern “shots” that might bring Christians to action?
If you haven’t been following the case, there is a spark happening across the world from us in Finland, but the outcome could have a profound impact on religious freedom. You can read the well-documented article in the link above, but the quick summary (and it is a very shortened outline; please read the article!) is The Federalist has been following the trial of a member of the Finnish Parliament Päivi Räsänen, and a Lutheran Bishop, Juhana Pohjola, who have been prosecuted for nearly three years for a “hate crime” when Räsänen tweeted a picture of Bible verses in June 2019.
The government investigation of her tweet uncovered a theological pamphlet she wrote and Pojhola published in 2004 (yes, that is 18 years ago) that states classic Christian teachings about sex as reserved only for marriage, and defining marriage as comprising only one man and one woman for life. As the article quotes, “If the prosecution wins, the ability of pastors to preach the gospel is effectively over in Finland, without criminal sanction.” A decision is expected by March 30.
While the case could eventually come before Finland’s Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights, there is so much more at stake in terms of the outcome on the rights of religious believers and political dissidents across the world and possibly set international precedents.
Yet, the article also chronicles how God is working this dark time to shine a light on Christianity; as the section title illustrates, “Silencing attempt backfires.” See some of the examples below:
Before the trail, only a few of the booklets in question were printed; now it is being distributed around the world and translated into several other languages; as Price of the Freedom for Religion notes in the article, the booklet has “made its way around the world thanks to the efforts” to shut it down. You can find the PDF of the booklet via the website of the International Lutheran Council here and made possible by The Lutheran Heritage Foundation (for some odd reason, it wasn’t listed on Amazon…)
The two accused now have a global platform for Christianity; Räsänen notes in the article that “European media are quoting Bible verses and people are debating their meaning.” She is receiving emails of people who are now reading the Bible.
Räsänen notes that 1,000 Finns were moved to stand in front of Parliament holding their Bibles up for the freedom of God’s word.
When asked how she is finding the courage to continue, Räsänen is quoted, “My motivation comes from the Bible and from my will to have an impact on the society. A conviction based on the Christian faith is more than a [superficial] opinion. The early Christians did not renounce their faith in lions’ caves, why should I then renounce my faith in a courtroom? I believe it is my calling and honor to defend the foundational rights and freedoms at this point of my life.” Mic Drop!
Does this sound too crazy to happen? Yep. Is it happening? Yep! As the article ends, “we can’t underestimate the chilling effect of these prosecutions. [the prosecutor] cannot but regard this as at least a partial success that sending a tweet about the Bible could result in the police coming to your door.”
Is this enough to spark a revolution, or at least a backlash? I don’t know. I had the pleasure to hear Bishop Pohjola when he spoke at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne in November, and it strengthened my resolve to be Bold and Without Fear as Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz challenged us during his visit in 2020.
It also brings to mind the lyrics of a Christian rock band song by Third Day, titled “Revival”:
Anybody here looking for revival
In our own hearts and across the land
Anybody looking for a revival
Lift up your voice and say Amen
Ain't gonna find it in a politician
Not from the government or any law
Can't get it going by your own religion
Only by the Spirit and the Word of God
