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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who was opposed to Hitler and Naziism described
the way Christians are actively involved in the institutions outside the church. He wrote that God’s
“commandment encounters us concretely in four different forms that find their unity only in the
commandment itself, namely in the church, marriage and family, culture and government.” (“What would
Bonhoeffer do? Ethics for this world,” by Robin Lovin, Christian Century, April 19, 2005, p. 26)
Bonhoeffer believed Christians were obliged to offer a public witness in the institutions in which
they participated. Church, family, culture and government represented not only institutions but mandates
for Christians faithfulness.
“God has placed human beings under all these mandates,” he wrote, “not only each individual
under one or the other, but all people under all four. There can be no retreat, therefore, from a
‘worldly’ into a ‘spiritual’ realm. The practice of the Christian life can be learned only under these four
mandates of God.” (pp. 29-30)
Christians live in the world. We move from one place to the next and our faith is a constant on
our journeys.
Paul had traveled to Athens when he found himself in the heart of Greek culture. The city was
full of idols that reflected the beliefs and priorities of the people in Athens. Instead of keeping silent,
Paul challenged the people of Athens to look at the gods whom they worshiped and the symbols they
held dear. He then compared their gods to his. The Athenians then could decide whether the God who
raised Jesus from the dead would be the God whom they would be moved to worship.
Our discipleship has parallels to the ministry of Paul.
Christians belong to more than churches. We belong to families, communities steeped in cultural
traditions, and societies governed by laws placed before us. When we are engaged with these
institutions beyond the church, we wear our Christian identity. We do not set it aside.
Our mandate, as Christians, is “to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.”
We are called “to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.”
These callings necessitate a free flow of participation in all the institutions of our lives. There
may be times when we are uncomfortable with that role – to be Christians in the world.
When we follow Christ, we follow the one who was God in the world. Jesus was not a silent
person. Nor shall we be.
Amen.
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