AGENTS

What do all of the people below have in common?

In 1941, during the dark days of World War II, Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Great Britain, addressed his alma mater, the Harrow School. Some of his most memorable words came during that speech: "Never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in ... "

In 1903, at a meeting of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, the qualifications for membership were debated. One man, Vladimir Lenin, demanded nothing less than total and complete allegiance to the Communist cause for life. Fourteen years later, when they seized power in the Soviet Union, there were only 14,000 members of the Communist Party - in a nation of over 150 million people! A handful of people took over one of the most powerful nations on earth and then proceeded to spread their humanist ideology to the rest of the world thru propoganda and military force.

All 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence knew full-well that they might suffer a traitor's death. Nine of them did die during the Revolutionary War ... five were captured and tortured by the British ... twelve lost their homes ... seventeen lost their fortunes ... two lost their sons. Despite all this, not a single man defected. Not a single one failed to honor the pledge he signed as stated in the final sentence of the Declaration: " ... we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." In the end, despite the odds, they triumphed.

William Wilberforce, a member of the British Parliament around the turn of the 19th century, persisted for twenty years before seeing the slave trade abolilshed in the British Empire. During most of those years, his peers in Parliament derided him mercilessly. But eventually, Wilberforce stood on the shoulders of those who had opposed him, celebrating victory.

Twenty years ago, a young Christian couple living in an Asian country where proselytizing for the cause of Christ would be punishable by death, decided to tell the people of their country about Christ. At the time, there were approximately 500 known believers in the entire nation. Today, the Gospel has been heard throughout that country thru the persistence and tenacity of one young couple who committed themselves to following Jesus. Twenty-five percent of that nation are serving Christ in 2008.

All but one of Jesus' disciples died as martyrs (excluding Judas, of course).

So -- what do each of these people have in common? Answer: They were all willing to give everything for a 'cause.'

There must always be people who are willing to give it all - no matter the personal cost. Societies, like the people who compose them, resist change and often make the agents of change pay dearly for disrupting the status quo. But any substantive change in society comes with a price tag.

Just wondering what you might be willing to 'pay' to see that happen ...

And be blessed.