With a woman to look at culture from a Christian worldview, I'm John Stone Street with a point.

On this day, in the year 64, the Great Fire of Rome broke out, for which the Emperor Nero

would blame a new religious sect, the Christians.

The first epistle from the Apostle Peter was written to those who experienced the persecution

unleashed by Nero.

First Peter is best summarized as a book of hope, but the hope he described is counter-cultural.

It does not anticipate a good outcome, at least not in the here and now.

Instead, Peter understands true hope is rooted in the certainty of something that's already

taken place.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, an event that defines all of history.

Christ, the risen sovereign ruler of the world, promises to make all things new, revelation

21.5, and he's working in every time and place through his people.

He's placed us in this cultural moment according to that redemptive plan.

So as Peter encouraged, the first Christians who faced increasing cultural hostility,

take hope, and the risen Lord Jesus.

For the call since then, I'm John Stone Street.