“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." Matthew 5: 10-12a
I have never been persecuted but I have had glimpses of what that would be like. During my junior year of high school, we were living in the town of Montpellier. My dad was on sabbatical. He had a grant to study the reformed church in France and he taught at the local seminary. I went to school at the local public school, as did my brother. We are Protestant and that is not a popular thing in France.
Imagine my surprise when doing my history lesson, that Martin Luther was portrayed as a criminal and the subsequent worshipers were vilified! This attitude led to the bullying of my classmate simply because she was Protestant. She exclaimed that I was Protestant, too, and that shut them up for a while because I was like the prized pooch at the school.
I learned a number of things: the Reformed church does not display the typical cross in churches because of the persecution over the years. They were made to kiss the cross and convert to Catholicism or be burned at the stake during the Spanish Inquisition. So, they wear a Huguenot cross instead. My parents gave me one while we were there, but it is long gone.
They were given religious freedom by Henry IV, but it was taken away by Louis XIII. They could worship but they had no military or political freedom. The Huguenots were again persecuted during the reign of Louis XV. It goes on.
Now France’s Protestant population is only 2% of the nation’s population and I expect that it continues to be looked down upon, just as I experienced it as a teenager. The members of the church we attended bonded together more than what I have experienced elsewhere, simply because they are reviled. I have fond memories of worshipping in that church and singing a particular hymn each week. We were welcomed eagerly because we were Protestant, and they were delighted that my father was teaching at their little seminary. Even in persecution, there are blessings.