"Living in the World"
“I discovered later, and I’m still discovering right up to this moment, that is it only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. By this-worldliness I mean living unreservedly in life’s duties, problems, successes and failures. In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously, not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world. That, I think, is faith.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer
An interesting reflection here, in the writings of Deitrich Bonhoeffer.
Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian who lost his life in a concentration camp at the hands of the Nazi regime. Before his death, he actively engaged the moral dilemmas faced by German citizens in the 1930's in his writings and through various forms of activism.
Bonhoeffer knew too well, both physical suffering, and the challenges that come with unjust governments and leaders. Yet, as his words above indicate, he describes true faith as living fully in this world and engaging with it, rather than trying to escape it.
Today, as we look around our country and world we can certainly identify many things we would wish to change, and suffering is plenty in this world, but the quote above is a good reminder.
Our human desires might be to look away, to distract ourselves from the pain in the world, or to cope by various mechanisms that may not be healthy. But as Bonhoeffer says, by unreservedly engaging with the world and its problems, we may find a great gift awaiting us - a deepened faith and understanding of what it means that God's Son too, endured great suffering, and willingly went through it, out of love for his people.
~Pastor Mike Middaugh
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer
An interesting reflection here, in the writings of Deitrich Bonhoeffer.
Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian who lost his life in a concentration camp at the hands of the Nazi regime. Before his death, he actively engaged the moral dilemmas faced by German citizens in the 1930's in his writings and through various forms of activism.
Bonhoeffer knew too well, both physical suffering, and the challenges that come with unjust governments and leaders. Yet, as his words above indicate, he describes true faith as living fully in this world and engaging with it, rather than trying to escape it.
Today, as we look around our country and world we can certainly identify many things we would wish to change, and suffering is plenty in this world, but the quote above is a good reminder.
Our human desires might be to look away, to distract ourselves from the pain in the world, or to cope by various mechanisms that may not be healthy. But as Bonhoeffer says, by unreservedly engaging with the world and its problems, we may find a great gift awaiting us - a deepened faith and understanding of what it means that God's Son too, endured great suffering, and willingly went through it, out of love for his people.
~Pastor Mike Middaugh
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