“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil… Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I’ve been reading biographical books lately about Christians during World War II. The first one is about a man called Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an anti-Nazi pastor in Germany who witnessed Hitler’s rise to power. The other is about Corrie Ten Boom, a faithful woman of God who lived in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. Both of them lived extraordinary lives. The evils of war confronted them both at the deepest level and forced them to work out the implications of their faith in ways they had never imagined. Do I really love my neighbour enough to risk the concentration camps (Matthew 22:39)? Are God and his ways important enough for me to risk death and execution (Luke 14:27)? Dietrich and Corrie took risks such as these because their belief in our Lord Jesus compelled them to. They staked their lives on God and his Word. And it is a privilege to be able to read about their lives.
While I’ve been reading about these remarkable saints, I have been asking myself whether I would be willing to lay down my life for the good of others. I mean, really put my life at risk for the good of my fellow human being. Both Corrie and Dietrich eventually found themselves imprisoned for their deeds of love (Dietrich was eventually executed). Their loyalty to King Jesus inspire me to think more deeply about how my life reflects my love for him. As C. S. Lewis says, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” Jesus really did live (any reputable historian acknowledges that) and I believe he really is the King of this world. Other powers and leaders may look like they hold control, but Jesus is coming soon, and I pray that when he does, you and I will be found doing the works that he did.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Ben
