Participants:
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI200476A
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00:29 Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
00:31 This is a program designed to give you insights 00:34 and a deeper perspective on religious liberty events 00:39 in the US and around the world. 00:41 My name is Lincoln Steed, editor of Liberty Magazine, 00:45 and my guest on this program is someone I know very well. 00:48 A young lady with the same last name as mine, 00:51 Kristen Steed, my daughter. 00:54 And I've had your brother and my son on before, 00:58 Christopher, and for purpose 01:00 because I think it's very healthy to emphasize 01:04 on religious liberty that's not just for old fogies 01:06 or middle-aged people or parents, 01:08 that young people need to be involved. 01:11 After all, Christianity was established 01:14 by a band of young people, 01:16 very likely that none of them were more than their mid-20s, 01:20 maybe Peter was, he might have been 30 or so. 01:24 But if for no other reason that we know in that era, 01:27 and right through the middle ages, 01:28 people didn't live much beyond their mid-30s. 01:31 Lifespan was very short. 01:32 So young people 01:34 and the energy they have is important. 01:36 Let's talk about what you've been doing 01:38 in the last few months, Kristen. 01:41 We've all lived in a fake reality, haven't we? 01:44 COVID-19. 01:46 What have you been doing most days lately, 01:49 up until a few weeks ago? 01:50 Well, we had a school online, of course, because of COVID. 01:55 So all my classes were quickly put online, 01:58 and we weren't allowed to go to school, 02:01 weren't really allowed to see our friends. 02:02 And it was kind of hard because it was my senior year. 02:05 So we didn't get to do, you know, 02:07 most of the things that like the senior year 02:09 consists of which was really, really sad. 02:12 Yeah, you were going 02:13 to a Seventh-day Adventist Christian Academy, right? 02:17 How would you characterize 02:20 its Christian identity during this time? 02:23 What made it different? 02:26 Well, they were able to show through the students 02:30 what was, like how to be strong through the time, 02:34 which I think is very important. 02:37 And like, you know, 02:39 they had different children in the school, do videos, 02:44 and talking about like, what was going on, 02:47 how we should stay strong for Christ. 02:49 And I think that's very important 02:53 and the school was able to do that. 02:59 And you did still have religious studies, right? 03:01 So some of that continued. 03:03 But obviously you didn't have outings, 03:07 you weren't going and witnessing 03:08 or interacting even with other Christian schools, 03:12 much less community projects. 03:16 So it was restricted in that way, 03:17 but at least they were encouraging you 03:19 in a difficult time to still be Christ oriented, right? 03:24 So it's a good thing. 03:25 Now when it all ended, there was no big graduation, 03:30 no march down with lots of parents 03:34 and friends and all the trimmings 03:37 that go with the graduation. 03:39 How did yours go? 03:40 Because this is, maybe a lot of people 03:41 don't realize only parents that had graduating seniors. 03:45 It was very abhorrent, in my lifetime 03:47 I've never seen anything like it. 03:50 You had the advantage 03:51 of being at a fairly small school 03:53 so how many were in your graduating class? 03:55 So in my class only had 13 people 03:57 which is really small and so because 04:02 our class was so small, they're able to actually 04:04 have our own personal graduations. 04:07 So the whole school, all the teachers 04:09 that came to our house to have me walk down 04:14 the aisle which happened to be our friend. 04:15 Even had the recorded music on some circumstances. 04:18 Yeah. I really enjoyed it. 04:20 And I know that I was lucky because a lot of other students 04:26 were not able to have that 04:28 because of bigger classes and you know. 04:32 So, yeah, I remember there was a cavalcade of cars, 04:36 several cars and a bus and so on that they came, 04:39 they rolled up in front of our house, 04:41 quickly set up a little lectern on the front lawn 04:44 and the PA system with the music playing 04:47 and we went through the whole thing. 04:49 It didn't take long, 04:50 I think half an hour for the whole deal. 04:52 But we had, you had an address from your principal. 04:55 Yeah, it was amazing. 04:56 You had extended testimonials from some of the teachers 04:59 and did you find it gratifying, a personalized graduation? 05:04 I think it was amazing like, of course, I didn't expect 05:09 anything to happen 05:10 because what was going on, like, you know, 05:12 we thought we're going to graduate online. 05:15 And, you know, that was really sad, 05:17 but when, you know, when they came and did this, 05:19 it was amazing because, you know, 05:21 I didn't expect the school to go all out. 05:24 And they were able to, 05:28 like really make this a personal thing, 05:31 which it is. 05:32 And, of course, we weren't sure what was going to happen. 05:37 But when it happened, it was amazing. 05:40 And I couldn't ask for anything better. 05:42 You want to know the lesson 05:43 that I want to gain from that to even suggest 05:47 to our listeners is I think this went deeper 05:51 to the root of what Christianity 05:52 should be about then than you might have realized. 05:56 It says in the Book of Revelation 05:58 that there'll be a crowd 05:59 who's no man can number in heaven redeemed. 06:02 But at the same time, it's very personal. 06:05 We told that we can have 06:07 the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. 06:09 We're told that Jesus 06:11 can communicate to us personally. 06:13 He would die for one person if necessary. 06:16 And in the Bible, it gives the implication 06:21 that the crown of life is placed individually on us. 06:25 So to me, this was fantastic. 06:28 That one single graduate, all of the focus of the group 06:33 that wanted to get you through that your teachers do. 06:37 Looking back, I can remember a few teachers 06:39 that I feared that they didn't want me to pass. 06:44 But in reality, any good teacher 06:46 wants the students to do well and to pass. 06:48 So these were your backers, 06:51 and they were there to encourage you 06:53 and to now acknowledge that 06:55 you're graduating and moving on, 06:57 and I saw a great spiritual implication 07:00 in a time of restriction, 07:03 when we're keeping to our homes 07:05 and I meant to say this quote, 07:08 maybe not the right time to say it, 07:09 but I've got a book on John Bunyan. 07:11 You remember John Bunyan 07:12 was a soldier in the English Civil War. 07:16 And after the war, became an itinerant preacher 07:18 and he spent 14 years in jail for preaching, 07:21 well, not of heresy, but without a license. 07:25 And the book I have about John Bunyan is not 07:27 what he wrote Pilgrim's Progress 07:29 and many other great books, 07:30 but it's about his times what religion was like. 07:34 And, you know, people got fined 07:36 for not going to church on Sunday. 07:38 There were severe penalties for spiritual infractions. 07:43 I remember reading in the same book that 07:45 the village clerk was fined because he's saying 07:49 with the dissonant voice during the services, 07:51 and it says in other words, squeaking like a pig, 07:54 but in that same book, 07:55 it said another official was fined 07:58 for keeping to his bearlike 08:00 a hand to his kindle on Sabbath or on Sunday. 08:04 And during COVID this sort of what we were, 08:07 we will, I felt like we were in our kennel. 08:09 We weren't allowed out. Yeah. 08:12 But you've said that 08:13 as a student of a Christian school 08:15 you were able to at least get spiritual values 08:19 and interact in a spiritual sense. 08:22 Yeah. 08:24 So where does that leave you 08:25 as a young lady now sailing forth on to life, 08:30 college probably? 08:31 But you know, in the COVID era as a young person, 08:36 do you think it's possible to live 08:38 as a Christian, witness as a Christian? 08:40 What do you see the possibilities? 08:43 Oh, I think it's almost the same as before. 08:47 It's just you have to do it in different way, 08:49 different manner. 08:51 Because before we could go out, 08:53 we could share our religion out in public and, 08:58 but now we're more closed in, but we can do it online. 09:02 And nowadays, you know, most people can get on 09:06 to like social media or YouTube and like, 09:10 you know, they can watch things 09:11 and I feel like nowadays it's going to be a lot of that. 09:16 And that's how we're going to, you know, go out. 09:20 Now what if by witnessing 09:23 and speaking about your faith online, 09:25 the same algorithms that are tracking 09:28 you now that know what you buy, 09:31 what you think can almost double guess 09:33 what your next search would be. 09:34 What if the same algorithm said that 09:36 this is anti-social behavior to talk about religion 09:40 that you either would be fined in some way 09:44 or more important for a young person 09:46 maybe cut off from these contacts, 09:48 you'll be delisted. 09:51 I don't think that... 09:52 How would that change your behavior? 09:54 I think that's going to happen like anytime soon maybe in the, 09:59 you know, future but I think 10:04 that'll make things a little more difficult, 10:06 of course, because you don't. 10:10 People don't get to see what you're talking about, 10:13 or what you believe. 10:15 And, of course, nowadays, 10:17 it's, people are really talking about 10:21 what they believe and sharing what they think is right. 10:25 And if you're not able to do that, 10:28 it's going to be like really hard 10:30 for the Christian faith to share with it. 10:34 It is going to be hard. 10:36 Remember Jesus said, 10:37 very hard times are coming so hard, 10:40 that unless the day's final days 10:42 are shortened, nobody would survive, 10:45 and I think he meant it in the first sense, 10:48 human life would be impossible, 10:50 but the most important sense though would be, he says, 10:54 will he find faith on the earth. 10:58 If you're not sharing 10:59 and you're not getting it from anyone else 11:01 and perhaps not even able 11:04 as they were in some places 11:06 recently able to read the Bible freely. 11:08 That sort of restricts faith in dangerous ways. 11:11 Yeah. 11:12 So you've got a challenge ahead of you, 11:14 your generation young lady, make it happen. 11:16 Yeah. Stand for religious liberty. 11:19 And, you know, in spite of what viewers may think, 11:22 I don't lecture you and your brother, 11:24 family about religious liberty a lot, 11:26 but you know you're around it. 11:28 What, why do you think religious liberty is important? 11:31 I think it's important that people are allowed to say, 11:36 and share what they believe. 11:38 Because that's the only way like, 11:40 you know, we all be saved. 11:42 If other people know, you know, Christ says like, you're not, 11:46 we're not, He's not going to come back 11:48 till the whole world knows, 11:50 and if we're not able to share that, 11:52 and what's going to happen. 11:54 Yeah. 11:55 So it's something that has to be shared this, 11:57 it's, if we're selfish by definition, 12:00 we don't understand God's concern. 12:02 You know, on another program with your brother 12:05 I mentioned Jesus prayer 12:06 where He prayed for His disciples. 12:09 He said He didn't pray for the world, 12:10 which is interesting, 12:11 although he did come for the world, 12:13 but in His prayer to His Father, 12:15 He said He prayed for the disciples, 12:16 but not just for them, 12:17 but for all who believed in His name. 12:20 So we have to have that sense. 12:26 Yes, young people... 12:28 Let me ask you an even more difficult question. 12:32 In the United States where we live, 12:35 and he laughed at me a bit with my accent still, 12:38 I'll never be able to deny that I grew up in Australia, 12:42 but I've lived most of my life in the US. 12:44 But you're an American young lady, fully. 12:47 And in America, people think easily 12:50 it's possible to think that to be an American 12:53 and free is the same thing as being a Christian and free. 12:56 Is there a difference? 12:58 I think there should be like a distinction, 13:02 because having freedom as an American 13:06 and having freedom as a Christian, 13:08 like, as an American, 13:11 you should have freedom for your religion, 13:14 of course, you know, rights. 13:17 But as a Christian, do we actually have that? 13:23 As an American, we think we might. 13:25 But if you're looking at your, you know, you as a Christian, 13:29 do we, do we really? 13:30 So ultimately your loyalty is to... 13:32 God. 13:34 God, and in a nice system, 13:36 there's not an automatic conflict, 13:38 but on a certain level, there's always a conflict. 13:42 And when there's the conflict, you judge God. 13:45 It's like the Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 13:50 the three Hebrew worthies they say, 13:52 that's what they said to Nebuchadnezzar, 13:54 you know, whatever you say, fine, but we have to obey God, 13:59 doesn't mean that you automatically disobey 14:01 what the state says, you have to be obedient 14:03 as they were with the normal things. 14:05 And as Daniel was within regular laws, 14:07 even if those laws were not based on Christianity, 14:11 if they were not requiring you to deny God, 14:14 you go along with it, but God has priority. 14:17 We'll take a break now. 14:19 So stay with us, with young Kristen. 14:22 We'll sort of explore a bit more 14:23 what it means to be worshiping 14:27 and practicing your faith during COVID and beyond. |
Revised 2020-09-11