The epistle of 1 Peter addresses the critical issue of living in a world set against God. The issue is not apostasy, but compromise. If we do not suffer and face discrimination and hostility, it is not because the world has somehow grown more benign towards faith. It is because our faith has become anemic. Therefore, the questions that Peter addresses throughout his epistle are still vital questions today: Do we compromise so that we avoid discomfort and alienation? Or do we embrace our identities as "aliens and strangers" in this world and lead lives that shine in the darkness?