Highway to the Danger Zone

I've been reading an article by Dietrich Bonhoeffer over the last few days.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer suffered incredible hardship as a Christian in Nazi Germany and was eventually hanged for his faith.  How weak I am in comparison.  I have suffered nothing for my faith.  I'm forced to ask myself why; why am I spared hardship with so many others must suffer for their belief in Christ?  To answer this question, I must ask another question; what is the source of persecution of Christians?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:1-2

Based on this passage, it would that a source of difficulty in the Christian's life may be God himself.  That doesn't sit right with me though.  According to the footnotes, the Greek verb that is here translated as “prune” also means “clean”.  It would seem that the process this passage refers to is more like an ongoing cleansing, designed to bring the believer into a closer and closer approximation of the life of Christ.  All right, how about another source of persecution.

The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.
Job 2:6

This time, the source of difficulty is satan, acting within the limits set by God.  Finally, there is this cryptic passage.

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
Luke 20:31-32

I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what this means.  Perhaps “sifting” refers to persecution, but it could just as easily mean something completely different.  I don't think it's a good idea to make judgments based on biblical passages you do not have a clear understanding of.

Where does that leave me then?  I have a gut feeling, but let me stress that this is my opinion, not some bit of wisdom I have gleaned through extensive study of the Bible.  My thought is that I am not persecuted because I am not doing much for the kingdom of God.  If I was, the Christian-hating world would have reason to attack me.  To put it another way way, think of a fish.  A fish that is swimming the same direction as the current and all the fish around it will face little resistance.  However a fish that is swimming the opposite direction will face tremendous difficulty.

I have no intention of making anyone feel guilty, but if you feel, as I do, like you are missing something in your walk with God perhaps you should look around.  If our lives look remarkably similar to the people around us who are walking in darkness, it is likely time to reevaluate our priorities.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:15-16