She has been sitting in your congregation for years. And she has never told anyone — cannot tell anyone — because the culture of the church has made it clear what the response would be.
Constantine did not merely tolerate Christianity. He favored it. He returned confiscated property to the churches. He exempted clergy from certain taxes and civic duties. He funded church construction. He convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 to resolve theological disputes---with imperial authority backing the proceedings. Within a generation, Christianity moved from the margins to the center of Roman life. By 380 AD, under Emperor Theodosius I, Nicene Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. For many believers, this felt like vindication. After centuries of suffering, God had finally delivered His people. The prayers of the martyrs had been answered. The church had endured the furnace, and now it was being crowned.
Not because they were uniquely evil. Not because they lacked sincere faith. But because they were afraid. And fear, as we have seen throughout this book, makes the idol feel necessary. Fear makes the chariot look like the only option. Fear makes the strongman’s promises sound like the voice of God.