Rich Dixon is here. I’m grateful.

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Following up on last time, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and confronting the face of evil.

For followers of Jesus, turning away and staying silent isn’t an option. So, now what?

“The essence of following Jesus can be found in living out The Sermon on the Mount.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Okay, let’s start there. And suppose we all agree that God isn’t worried.

But… I still FEEL POWERLESS to do anything about injustice.

What’s that about? I’m not powerless, of course. You and I can do all sorts of things to confront injustice.

For example, I can ask all of you to join the FREEDOM TOUR in raising funds to support a group of kids rescued from human trafficking.

But I don’t want to confront injustice, I want to end it.

Do you see it?

It’s not about power to act – I want to control the outcome. Which is a little (or a lot) like wanting to be God.

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In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promised a kingdom organized around generosity, justice, and love. He invited His followers into that kingdom here and now, not just in some distant future.

My desire for power and control is a rejection of Jesus’ invitation in favor of self-created loopholes or shortcuts. It’s a sense that, at least sometimes, I know what’s best.

(It wasn’t Love your neighbor… except for THAT guy.)

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In an inspiring call to action, Bonhoeffer wrote, “We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”

It’s one of his most well-known quotes. Also a temptation to create a shortcut in pursuit of a worthwhile outcome.

The question is kinda simple. Am I following Jesus, or am I expecting Him to follow me?