In today’s first reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans, he provides a litany of names of persons to whom he sends his greetings. We don’t much about these people other than they were a support to Paul in the spreading of the faith. Perhaps the mention of the names alone indicates the important fact that the promotion of the Church of Christ has always depended on all sorts of people who do what they can to promote Christianity. Paul describes how some had “risked their necks” to aide him and there is no reason to think he was exaggerating. The persecutions of the Church during the time of Nero were fierce as the early church would discover with the martyrdom of both Paul and Peter. Christian witness has always come at a cost whether someone is the object of derogatory comment or within hearing of a slanderous joke. Nigeria is witnessing today a record number of deaths and displacement of Christians. There must be something in Christianity worth fighting and dying for if so many people have chosen to take this option.