For decades, theologians have been telling us that we are in the midst of a new reformation. They point out that reformations happen every 500 years or so, with smaller tweaks along the way. The truth about this, historically, is that the church has been constantly reforming; this is how it stays vital and relevant. A second truth is that while we need that constant evolution of the spirit, we fight it tooth and nail. We are generally satisfied with the way things are – as long as they serve us. The status quo is fulfilling to those who are in power, not those who have no voice. Change is motivated by discontent.
The most important changes, from my point of view, are spiritual resistance movements like the Confessing Church in Germany in WWII. While most religious leaders and people went along with the Nazis, a small group resisted and paid a steep price. Some, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, left Germany in protest, only to return and pay the ultimate price. They saw people like Pope Pius XII do nothing while the evil of Naziism spread, committing genocide against Jews, LGBTQ people, Romas, and others. They watched in horror as good Christians in their congregations wore Nazi armbands and raised their hands in fealty to Hitler. These heroes of the Confessing Church wrote, preached, and fought against fascism while others accused them of not being true Christians or patriots. They resisted and persisted.
The Jeffersonian wall of separation is not meant to silence religious people; it is meant to remind us that we are a nation committed to the rule of law, not any particular religion. We can practice any religion we choose to and not worry about having to take a religious test to hold office (that’s in the main body of the Constitution), and we cannot, in any way, allow the government to favor one religion over others (that’s the First Amendment). This means that religious organizations cannot support or oppose a particular person or party in any official way. We can speak about moral issues and challenge what we believe to be attacks on people’s rights, but we can’t tell people how to vote from the pulpit or in a newsletter or in any other way. Those religious organizations that publicly do that should be resisted; we need to point out their false practices when they refuse to follow the law.
The other night I told a group at the LGBT Center of Reading that I have been, and will continue to, fight against fake Christianity for my whole life, and that our congregation and our building would be a safe haven for them. We will offer a spiritual resistance to those who would pervert our faith. We will be a sanctuary for those who feel unsafe. I invite you to join us. And I invite you to consider which kind of person of faith you will be – Bonhoeffer or Pius XII? I pray that it will never come to that, but we need to be ready.
Prayer – Holy God, give us the courage to stand against evil and oppression in every way, even when it comes from our government or others who say they bear Your name. Amen.
Today’s art is “Never Needed 2018” by Charlotte Allingham, Wiradjuri, Ngiyampaa. Reproduction of the artwork. Australian Museum Collection Digital Acquisition.