Persecution re-orders priorities

Some quotes from The Privilege of Persecution (And Other Things the Global Church Knows That We Don’t), which I’m hoping to review for an upcoming newsletter.

The average American often knows more personal facts about their favorite entertainment and sports stars than they do about the families living next door to them.

Guilty.

Consider this: If you’ve ever traveled abroad, especially to a country or region where English is rarely spoken, you know how exciting it can be to run into someone from “back home,” a fellow citizen who speaks your language. And even though your ability to communicate with each other may be the only thing you have in common, it is as if you are both suddenly part of an ancient brotherhood.
Yet once you’re back home, surrounded by the comforting sound of familiar words and phrases, if you saw the same person on the street or in the mall, you probably wouldn’t even glance in their direction.
Scarcity adds value, even to relationships.