Quietenned by the Crowd?

Adelaide Crows Supporters

In the previous post about football in Adelaide I mentioned that my team got beaten in the Grand Final.
I am not normally a vocal supporter at sports matches but in the early stages of the game I did try to give some encouragement.
Our team supporter base was very lop sided compared to the opposition who were outright favourites to win.
As the other team kept kicking goals ,and it became obvious we were in for a beating, I felt strange about being so quiet as the inevitable approached.
They often say in sport one of the best ways to achieve a win is to silence the opposition crowd by your performance.
Well Norwood certainly did that but they didn't have much opposition from our supporter base in the first place.
In relating this to being a Christian, it came home to me that so often we are quietened in our witness for Christ, by the sometimes overwhelming bias against Christianity in our world.
The crowd of public opinion.
We recently saw the Opera "Orpheus in the Underworld".
An interesting and irreverent showing but it was of interest to note that one of the characters was called "Public Opinion".
We are often discouraged because of the flashiness and seeming arrogance by those opposed to the Christian Viewpoint.
Well we are in a real game of  life  not just  a sporting contest.
There are consequences for those rallying against Jesus whether aggressively or passively.
So as Christians "we need to be ready" as the Bible teaches "whether in season or not to give a reason for the hope within."
So my challenge to myself and to any Christians reading this is to not be intimidated by the crowd or opinions of others.
Study opinions against the Truth of the Bible.
Study your Faith to the degree that you not only know what you believe but why.
Jesus said "I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by me!"
John 14:6