Today, when Christians in the United States seem to be persecuted more than at any time in the nation's history, we admittedly don't know what to do, what to say, how to react, whether to fight back with what we know to be true or remain meek and silent as what we know to be false is proclaimed.
We've been trained in our churches to be obedient, to turn away wrath and to trust in others, but we also know that Jesus was angered and took action when he found the money changers buying and selling in the courts of the temple.
In other words, we have to learn to live as Easter people in a Good Friday world, as author Barbara Johnson once put it. But we also have to figure out just how that might manifest itself in a world of terrorism, hedonism and false prophets.
To start with, if you're a praying person, pray. For the Islamic State radical. For the president you didn't vote for. For the company with which you're in dispute. For the boss with whom you disagree. Sometimes, just praying for someone or something you oppose can lighten your burden.
Even President Richard Nixon, disgraced by the Watergate scandal and speaking to the White House staff for the last time in August 1974, understood the folly of holding on to hate.
"Always remember," he said, "others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself."
Love your neighbor. No exceptions. They may have a different religion, a different race, a different orientation, but they've got problems the same as you. They've got too much on their plate. They don't always know how ends will meet. Their marriage is fraying.
Give them a friendly wave. Make sure they're all right when the power goes out. Take them some flowers from your yard. It won't solve their problems, but it will make their day - and yours - better.
Know yourself and know of what you speak. "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes," the Bible puts it in Ephesians.
If abortion, gay marriage, defense of Israel or rule of law is your bte noire, know why you believe something and be able to defend it. The other side may be louder and better funded, but the truth is still the truth.
When the Supreme Court handed down its Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, opponents were sure the number of abortions would reach the stratosphere and never return. But, for many reasons including the fact that hearts have been changed, the abortion rate in 2011 was the lowest since 1973.
Get involved. Don't constantly listen to the talking heads discuss something you'd think by listening is a majority opinion but is, in fact, believed by only a small percentage of the people. The church, the local food bank and the hospitals are just waiting for your help.
Volunteering not only lends assistance to those who need it, but it brings the volunteer satisfaction, new friends and happiness. A London School of Economics study of a large group of Americans even found that the more people volunteered, the happier they were, and that those who volunteered weekly realized a happiness hike comparable to having an income of $75,000-$100,000 versus $20,000.
The world may not change immediately if we take all of the above actions, but the Fergusons, the Islamic States, the religious freedom law disputes and the nuclear armament treaties will fade so they become less the focus of our time and our ire. In other words, we will be changed.
"I have told you these things," John 16:33 quotes Jesus as saying not long before the events that would lead to his crucifixion, "so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
That's the advantage of living like Easter people in a Good Friday world.