If following Christ was easy, then I think everybody would be doing it.  It’s precisely because it’s not easy that many people avoid following Christ.  Such was the case with Pilate.  He didn’t want Jesus to be crucified, and he pleaded with the crowds to let Jesus be released on several occasions.  He had Jesus beaten in an effort to appease the crowds, but it was to no avail.  So what did he do?  He gave in.  He sought to maintain his popularity rating instead of doing what he knew to be the right thing to do – he did the easy thing.  As I said, if following Christ was easy, then everybody would be doing it.  We live in a world that prods us to go for “easy” every time, and it mocks us when we don’t follow the sway of the crowds.  But as for me?  I’m committed to doing what’s right over doing what’s easy.