Bonhoeffer seems to be coming into sermons a lot this week. The story of Germany in the 1930’s is an interesting one about humanity latching on to an ideal offered to them that following it life will be better. Hitler offered perfection and prosperity - the wiping out of the different was for some, swept up in the promises, a small price to pay even if they thought about it. The message that “we are better” and “we get rid of them” is horrific.
Bonhoeffer and others took a stand against it and it cost them their life.
“Christians in Germany will have to face the terrible alternative of either willing the defeat of their nation in order that Christian civilization may survive or willing the victory of their nation and thereby destroying civilization,” he wrote.
One of my friends this morning posted this:
We live in frightening times. We seem to have learnt little. To follow an ideal, a leader without realising the consequences of the message is dangerous. We seem to be moving to “we are better” and “get rid of them” again.
Holy Week is a story of deciding what we will choose. The Roman regime was brutal, but to challenge it could cost you your life. When Jesus entered Jerusalem people were confronted with a
stark choice: two distinct kingdoms; force and threat or peace and love. The trouble was the majority saw Jesus as a threat, a heretic, a rabble rouser so it was easier to get rid of him. We might know the Romans, the Nazis, the unjust today are wrong, but it’s easier to put up with them than choose publicly to support another way. This week do we crucify him through not speaking out or do we discover our prophetic call to be different?
It’s hard to speak out, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd, but for the world to change we need to be more courageous. “Don’t get involved in politics” the Church is told. But if we don’t get involved and we don’t live in the world and try to change it then we’ve lost the point. It’s isn’t easy to speak out, it doesn’t make you popular...
Tonight on my walk I passed the priory on Lindisfarne. The Vikings attacked the island msjy times but the holy community persevered on Lindisfarne, though the monastery was mostly abandoned in AD875; the majority of monks sensibly fleeing, taking the sacred relics of St Cuthbert with them. They held firm to their beliefs when it was easy to give up.
On this Wednesday of Holy Week, we thank God for the outspoken and we pray when we need to have courage we might be given strength to do what is right.
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