Just a few quick thoughts about a story that came across the AP wire this morning and caught my eye.  Basically, Iran has arrested 70 Christians since Christmas, just for being Christians.  Christianity is "officially" legal in Iran, and the government there has actually made it a point to tout their religious tolerance over the years, but they largely restrict those activities to mainstream, state sanctioned churches.  These Christians that have been arrested weren't worshipping in those churches, but rather are part of a growing house church movement in Iran.  They are practicing their faith in a way that feels real and genuine to them, rather than allowing their love of Jesus to be restricted by the government.  (To be clear, I'm definitely not saying that Iranian Christians worshipping in state sanctioned churches aren't living their faith, this is just the example I was presented with today)

This story is yet another reminder to me of the religious freedoms we have here in America that we so often take for granted.  I've talked to a lot of Christians who feel that the American church is being persecuted, and while I honestly don't know if I agree with that statement or not, it certainly pales in comparison to what is happening in many other parts of the world.  We as Americans are so blessed to have a constitutional right to practice the religion of our choice (or no relgion at all) in a manner that feels appropriate to us.  I don't know about anyone else, but knowing that there are Christians being persecuted in other countries for living out their faith in a real, tangible way really leads me to take pause and think about the opportunites I have to practice my faith and how often I choose to ignore them.  More about that coming soon.  Keep these Iranian believers in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the others that are continuing on in the practice of their faith despite the government threats.