The Cost of Discipleship

Dietrich Bonhoeffer knew something about being the Church in fearful times, as a pastor and theologian in Nazi Germany. He also knew something about the ways that any great religious tradition can be co-opted by terrorists. I would propose that National Socialism was to Christianity what Al Qaeda is to Islam today. In other words, it is a serious error to equate Islam with terrorism. Where that is happening, Christians have an obligation to speak up.

Surely there is room for disagreement on whether or not an Islamic Center should be built two blocks from Ground Zero. There is room for a wide array of emotions, because the grief of 9/11 is not yet healed. And surely the families of those who died at Ground Zero deserve to be heard.

But there is no room for sowing fear and spreading misinformation. There is, here, an opportunity for Christians to discover (and rediscover) our mission and purpose as disciples of Jesus Christ. Which brings me back to Bonhoeffer. In The Cost of Discipleship, there is a chapter on "The Disciple and Unbelievers" that I think are still relevant. It's a meditation on Matthew 7:1-12, which begins "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

Bonhoeffer asks whether Christians have "special rights and privileges" over non-Christians, whether Christians "enjoy power, gifts and standards of judgement which qualify them to exert a peculiar authority over others?" His unequivocal answer is NO. He goes on to add two particularly insightful observations: (1) "Judgement is the forbidden objectification of the other person which destroys single-minded love;" and (2) "Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating."

Let me reiterate: faithful Christians can disagree about zoning laws and even about whether or not a it is helpful for a Muslim Center to be built two blocks from Ground-Zero. But faithful Christians must never objectify (or demonize) others (whether we agree or disagree with them, like or dislike them) because that destroys love, and because without love we are nothing more than clanging cymbals.

How can Christians respond to the fear that is in the air? We can seek the truth, which is found by way of love--love that is patient and kind, not arrogant or rude; love that doesn't insist on it's own way and is not irritable or resentful but rejoices in the truth...