BradTaylor

Bonhoeffer: Chapter 10

Soon after the Nazis came to power, their racist propaganda began taking hold. During the first year after Hitler’s election, Jews were prohibited from serving in the government, pastoring a German church, participating in the world of journalism, and enjoying any cultural activities, including the arts, theater, literature, and film, among other things.

Bonhoeffer quickly wrote an essay on the church and its involvement with the Jewish question. Bonhoeffer’s stance was so revolutionary that, when he read the essay in the presence of other pastors, many of them left the room in protest. He believed the church’s role, in relation to the government, was threefold:

1. To help the state be the state as God ordained. That is, to ask whether the state’s actions indeed create a society of law and order.
2. To aid the victims of state action, even if those victims are not part of the Christian community.
3. To “not just bandage the victims under the wheel, but to put a spoke in the wheel itself.” By this he meant that the church should not only work to assist the victim, but should work to thwart the victimizers, as well.

I feel like I’ve gained a unique perspective on issues like these by being part of a church that is very involved in our community.We have a terrific relationship with the governmental officials in our community. What about you? What do you think the church’s relationship with the government should be?