“I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.” (John 16:20 NLT)
What struck me here was the phrase, “the world will rejoice”. The world, it seems, does rejoice that Christians are suffering.
Not the whole world, but a vocal part of it.
But they are missing the point, as always. The joy is still to come. And on that day, we will be willing to share the joy for anyone who asks for it.
Are we being naive for being ready and able to give joy to anyone who asks? Perhaps. If being naive means letting go of cynicism and cold heartedness.