Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Anticipating the enemy and just where it hides


Time now for a question that challenges us all ( i think)
What is evil all about ? Clearly I am not the person to answer all your questions ,but with Bonhoeffer's birthday today  , its good to reflect on how he and many other believers saw it coming .

Background .
Who can not want to read a man who was taken off the Radio in Germany 8 years before World War 2 started and , like Solzenitzen went back to suffer in his home country when the West refused to take him seriuosly. Chamberlain thought he knew but Bonhoeffer could see it all coming .

 Because so many don't trust Christians to answer this question objectively and productively,  I suggest starting with a thoughtful and effective politician Edmund Burke and other efcetive people  in democratic history who said ( more or less ) " The greatest evil is done in the name of the best intention'". So , simply , for anyone who wants to give this more than a moment's thought........ its not about what's on the surface ,and, its not just whats underneath but .....what's directly underneath what appears to be good .

Truth is often hidden (Even God hides the truth ---so if you believe what believers believe , you can forget being awefully clever!) .
Remember Eve's desire to know more about this - seems reasonable doesn't it ? The knowledge of the difference between good and evil . Have you ever factored in Hilters , Mussolini .....and Lenin's desire to make the world a fairer place ? Test Burke's assertion with people you know,....... like yourself .

We never know what goes on in other people's minds ( only got to read our own to know we don't want to know - thankfully the evil thoughts in there go no further than headspace , most of the time - I'm speaking for myself of course )

What we do know is that Jesus, Bonhoeffer ,Martin Luther King, Solzenitsen tried to confront the little hitlers,  not with swords, but with words .Herod confronts Jesus with accusations and wastes his words , Pilate confronts Jesus with a question and he answers it . Getting to the truth is hard work but at least then ,we know what we are REALLY fighting over. Games fought over anything but the tough stuff are common . 

 I am posting elsewhere  on just how important it is that we speak up after trying to share my passion for young people getting good jobs yesterday . It's confrontation that we are called to, to DO it , to practice it , to take back what we say when we lose control of our mouths -in love .To know when to open ones mouth and when to shut it and,......... when you have gone too far .

The above men were  angry men --read Matt 11or " Strength to Love "MLK . Be angry , as they were ( passion for right is not wrong ),but don't sin - confront others with the truth in the hope that they might have faith in the power of one and the power of us together ( Tolkein stories come to mind!)