Mitch Lewis

I first read Dietrich Bohnoeffer's writings when I was a high school student 38 years ago. My worn-out copy of Life Together (Gemeinsames Leben)  dates to 1978, my first year in seminary. Its words were foreign and almost incomprehensible to my Baptist ears, but even then I thought "wow." My appreciation of Bonhoeffer's words grows deeper every time I read this beautiful little text. Bonhoeffer's first chapter on "Community" starts with standard Reformation language regarding our righteousness in Christ. He proceeds to draw out from that, however, an understanding of the Christian life that turned my understanding of Christian piety upside down. The later chapters of Life Together describe what we might call spiritual disciplines that belong to Christian discipleship. You'll never understand what Bonhoeffer says about things like prayer, confession, communion, work and service, however, unless you first grasp the foundation that he lays in his chapter on community.

I revisited Bonhoeffer's chapter on "Community" in Life Together after writing this week's post on "Ordinary Christianity." It was obvious to me how much this little book has come to color not only my understanding of Christian community, but of Christian holiness as well.

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Ephesians 2:1-10 - Lent 4B

Be good.

It's a dated reference, but for some reason I thought of Stephen Spielberg's E.T. - The Extraterrestrial as I began reflecting about today's epistle reading. For those too young to remember, E.T. is a creature who comes from the sky, gets separated from his spacecraft, is pursued by menacing government authorities, is taken captive, dies, and then rises from the dead. As he prepares to return to the skies in his glowing spacecraft, he sticks out his little glowing finger, touches a young boy named Elliot and says, "Be good."

For Christians, part of the story sounds familiar. I think it illustrates two pretty important points about the secular world in which we live. First, try as the world might, it can't hide from its spiritual impulses. Spielberg reworks the story of Christ into a space myth, but E.T. is not just a science fiction story.

Second, and for our purposes more importantly, Spielberg captures what the secular world thinks about religion in general and Christianity in particular. It's about being good. Some stereotype Christians as evil moralizers who want to impose their mean-spirited beliefs on the world. In their view, it's a power-play on our part, pure and simple. Their reaction is, typically, "Keep your morality away from me."

On the other hand, some see Christianity (or what's left of it) as a tool for advancing their own moral agenda. Whether it's advancing the cause of equality, the environment, economic justice, or some other good cause, religious belief is a simply a vehicle for advancing that cause. Faith is a means to an end. You get the feeling that many of these folks would be willing to drop the religious facade if they could achieve their goals by other means. The causes may be good or they may be misguided, but either way, they are not the gospel.

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And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" Luke 2:13-14

Near the end of the 1965 animated classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown cries out in desperation, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" Linus answers, "Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about." The houselights dim and a single spotlight illuminates Linus on stage. Linus opens his mouth and begins to recite from the King James version of Luke's Gospel. I was ten years old when I first saw A Charlie Brown Christmas. Forty-three years later, Linus' simple words are still one of the most moving moments that I have experienced in any medium.

And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8-14 KJV)

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

As the Peanuts gang sang in that film, "Christmas time is here." So what should we do? If Christmas is "all about" the savior born in the city of David, how should we respond? Maybe the first thing we should do is the same thing that the heavenly army of angels did when the news was announced. Maybe the first thing we should do is give glory to God in the highest.

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Philippians 4:4-9

People don't like to be told what to do, much less what to think. Paul tells the Philippian Christians to rejoice - twice in one verse. Don't be anxious. Think good thoughts.

The modern world thinks such an attitude toward joy is silly and shallow. Bobby McFerrin sang, "Don't worry, be happy," and everyone laughed. In Monty Python's Life of Brian, Eric Idle sang, "Always look on the bright side of life" from the cross and everyone understood the joke.

Telling people to be joyful is easy to say, the world thinks, but it isn't realistic. If those Christians had any idea how hard and painful life really is, they wouldn't be telling people to rejoice and give thanks to God in everything.

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