Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Cheap grace is the mortal enemy of our church.  Our struggle today is for costly grace."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Statues found at Westminster Abby

20th Century Saints

from left to right

Mother Elizabeth of Russia, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Oscar Romero, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Tonight the power went our for several hours here at camp.  It's been snowing like crazy for the past week or so and I think it's lovely.  I made a snowman, shoveled a bit, and have fallen down a lot.  =)  In general I am loving it!

Losing power was an interesting experience however.  Can't flush the toilet, turn on the faucet, cook anything, let alone have any lights.  We lit a bunch of candles and I sat by the window for a long while reading.

I have been reading "Saints and Villains" a fictional account of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and am loving it.  When I begin to learn about a topic I want to understand it from as many sides as possible.  I have been exposed to some of Bonhoeffers theology and have immensely enjoyed it.  I too struggle with the idea of "cheap grace".  The life of a disciple isn't easy and too often I let it be.  I am content to know that God loves me and accept his gift of grace - without to much change on my part.  While grace is a gift freely given to anyone who accepts God - after we are given that grace we are called to a life of discipleship.  Not necessarily perfection (sorry John Wesley - I'm not sure about that one yet) but a life of serving and obeying God's will.  To follow the law, but as Jesus came to teach us, being a disciple is so much more than simply following rules.

Discipleship is about relationships.  It's about having a relationship with our creator.  It's about having relationships with our brothers and sisters.  It's about loving people, respecting people, and caring for people.  Bringing about the kingdom of God here on earth and having the faith that it is not through our works that it will come about.  But it will not come about without our efforts either.  We must love.  Our Lord and our neighbors.  Bonhoeffer knew this and spoke out against the prejudices and racism of his day - in pre WWII Germany and told over and over again it wasn't his battle.  They weren't after him.  But he held strong to his faith and views on social justice.  He believed if a Christian, or the church, doesn't speak out against injustice against anyone; they aren't really following Christ.

One of his close friends and colleagues Pastor Martin Niemoller wrote this poem:


In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up.


Friends, please pray for my path of discipleship - for it is a difficult one for me to take.  I will pray for yours.  May we love everyone we meet and always reach out to the needy, the suffering, the oppressed for they are among us even here and now.  


In peace with love, 
your sister in Christ~Erin

Racism in America

I teach an interesting living history program at work to help illustrate the concept of racism and injustice to students.  The American history of racism is heart wrenching and repetitive.  Just think how these groups were treated - with dignity and human rights?
Native Americans
Africans captured and brought to American as slaves and subsequent generations of African Americans
Irish immigrants on the east coast
Chinese immigrants on the west coast
Japanese immigrants on the west coast
Hispanic immigrants
Arab Americans
Lots of images come to mind....

 In particular right now I have been reading a book about WWII and the Japanese internment.  Here's some facts:
"Courage is something strong within you that brings out the best in a person. Perhaps no one else may know or see, but it’s those hidden things unknown to others, that reveals a person to God and self." - Yuri Nakahara Kochiyama
  Diary entry, May 3, 1942


President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 authorizing the mass incarceration of over 110,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

Two-thirds were American citizens. Over half were children or infants.
Their "crime": their Japanese ancestry.

Forty-six years later our government officially apologized for this "grave injustice" and paid reparations.

Could it happen again to another group of Americans?


information from - http://www.asianamericanmedia.org/jainternment/


Sigh.  People are quick to judge and slow to change.  I'm glad I'm learning about it though.  Too many of us "Americans" grow up thinking that America is this wonderful place of opportunity for everyone and it's just not true.  American is a wonderful place of acceptance and opportunity for those who are of caucasian decent.  For centuries we have prosecuted and put down those who aren't.  Even in recent history!  We talk in our history classes about the horror of German concentration camps, yet we forget to discuss or even bring up the fact that during the war - yes 1944, President Roosevelt signed an order and all those of Japanese decent living on the west coast were evacuated and moved to internment camps.  Lost almost everything they owned trying to prove they were loyal citizens (many were second or third generation American citizens).  All in the name of homeland security.  


In the past 10 years we have seen racism and fear again raise it's ugly head with the terrible September 11th attacks.  Many Americans are fearful of Arab americans and there is a distinct hatred and distrust of people who simply "look" Arab.  Many of us are so ignorant we don't even know what ethnic group people belong to and we are judging them as possible terrorists.  


In the book I'm reading "The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" the main character as a child is forced by his father to wear a button on his jacket proudly saying "I am Chinese".  Because of the fear he could be mistaken for Japanese.  sigh.  


Brothers and sisters we need to continually work everyday to diversify ourselves, make friends with those who look different than us, see a person for their humanity not just their nationality!  Christ often gave examples of God loving and accepting foreigners, often enraging Jews.  We must remember that our community is global and every person we meet is a member of our family.  


I know this is something I have to actively work on.  I tend to be drawn to those who act and look like me.  But I pray for God's eyes and heart to help build bridges and heal divisions within my family.  


In peace with love, 
your sister in Christ~Erin