Responding to our World

I watched a movie last night on Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  He was a Christian theologian in Nazi Germany during WWII.

What I thought was interesting since I knew the basic story of the stand he took and the consequences he faced, was the struggle he had to face with his conscience, his understanding of Scripture, and his concepts of right and wrong.  I guess I had imagined that he had it all figured out and knew what he should do.  Don't we always look at our heroes and believe that everything was easy for them?

And I especially thought about the choices he had to make in light of the changes our society is going through and the choices we are having to make.  And you know, there are times I struggle with how God wants me to respond to the world around me.  I see so many Christians speaking out on this situation or that one.  They are boycotting a company they disagree with.  Some are crying out due to the injustices that many Christians believe we are facing.  Others are becoming political zealots for one of the candidates believing they will turn things around.

I guess what can be difficult for me is that when I look at the first century church and Jesus, I don't see a lot of political activity.  Maybe there was and it just wasn't recorded in the letters that we have. So I don't know how those Christians reacted to the Jews being dispersed from Judea or to the abandonment of unwanted babies.  Did they raise their voices against the cruelties and injustices of their day.  Simply from reading Scripture, I really don't know.

So I am left sometimes to ponder how God wants me to respond to the cruelty, the injustice, and the bigotry I see around me.  As a Christian, am I to fight for my rights?  How does my loyalty to my country, my patriotism, relate to my Christian citizenship in the Kingdom of God?  Does it?

I know that these things need a lot more prayer from me and a lot more study of the Word.  Perhaps I won't find direct examples of how earlier Christians responded, or how Jesus Himself responded to these exact types of situations.  But I believe with prayerful study, God will give me enough insight from His Word and with His Spirit to be at peace with how I should respond.

The other thing to realize, and Bonhoeffer is a prime example of this, is that having the peace of God regarding how I need to respond or to act will not necessarily mean that there will be no price to pay for my choices.  Bonhoeffer, as many Christians before and after him, paid with his life for taking a stand and doing what He believed God wanted him to do.  I must also be prepared to pay whatever price is exacted.  Jesus Christ, Himself, did no less.