Still reading Bonhoeffer. This morning in the chapter on "Killing Hitler" I read his reflections on the ethics of assassination. Even though Adolf Hitler was the vilest of dictators, Bonhoeffer went through a process of opposition eventually deciding that the evil of one murder was less than the evil of multiple murders on the Nazi's part.
It was not an easy decision and it cost him his life. His concern however, was how active should a Christian be? More than a devotional Christianity, true Christianity contains a level of activism. It was a challenging chapter. It is a challenging book, our 21st century Christianity does not fare well.
Time for breakfast. I turned on Fox News, the source of much of our national and international news and there was an interview with a young Oscar reviewer. Two things he said struck me. One, he said he was proud of the fact he had seen all the movies nominated for best picture before the nominations were made public. Really? That is something to be proud of? Two, he said his role models in life were Regis Philbin and Roger Ebert. I had heard all from him I wished to hear.
So I flipped over to ESPN where the report was the slam dunk contest last night. And the vehemence with which two sides went at it. Did the winner deserve to win? Some thought yes, some thought it a travesty.
I am coming to the conclusion that our culture is the travesty. Bonhoeffer, Niemoller, Bethage, Muller, and others debated Christian living in an sinful world. Perhaps we should be debating Christian living in a sinful world as well. Instead we debate movies and movie stars, sports and athletes, taxes and laws, and never concern ourselves with the deeper theological issues involved.
By we, I mean me included.
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2 comments:
Pastor Rodger,
Everytime I read what you've posted it reminds me how much I miss your teaching. Teach on Brother!! One of the big issues I believe exists in our modern Christianity is that the majority do not think they can make a difference. They feel too insignificant against the BIG world issues. I remember reading a book called "The Body" by Chuck Colson several years back that convinced me that one person can make a difference.
Tell Mutt and Runt that there is only a few weeks left to sign up for the Big Dog team :-))
Steve
Today was the last day to sign up. As much as we would like to do it again, the looming building project is taking priority. Are you going to ride again?
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