Letter to the American Church summary

Before explaining how today’s Christians came to fear politics, we’re going to go back in time and talk about two men — one famous, one not so well known. 

First up is Martin Luther. What you need to know about him is that he had a crisis of faith around the idea of works versus faith. He was a monk during a time when Christians were basically taught they needed to earn their way into heaven through good works.

On Reformation Sunday in 1932, Bonhoeffer delivered a sermon in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin. He called out the dogged adherence of Lutherans to the traditions of the past. He talked about the way they mindlessly observed holidays or church services. And most of all he held up a mirror to the way the church was being influenced and invaded by German nationalism.

Bonhoeffer wasn’t against patriotism, but he saw a big problem with a church that identified too much with its country and not enough with the word of God. He implored people to let go of their allegiance to Luther and embrace a direct connection with God through faith and the word of God.

Certainly, we would look back and condemn any person who saw the dangers of Hitler’s regime and did nothing. How much more should we hold judgment against the church, an institution that is supposed to be living God’s will, speaking up for truth, and helping those in need? As Bonhoeffer warned long ago, there is really no such thing as neutrality.

The German church embraced silence. They saw the need to avoid being political. The American church, nowadays, has the benefit of learning from its mistakes.

The American church suffers from a culture of silence.

This largely comes from two mistakes of faith, likely due to historical misunderstandings. The first one is Romans 13, where Paul implores people to surrender to the governing authorities.

Another way the church has come to adopt a culture of silence is by idolizing misunderstood or false beliefs.

For example, one belief is that the primary role of Christians is to evangelize. Christians are called to share the good news of Christ, but their role doesn’t stop there. The idea of evangelism can become an idol. It can take the place of God and become the thing you devote yourself to.

Let’s get back to the here and now of the American church. Not only is it facing the culture of silence it’s created for itself, but it’s also actively being silenced by the loud voices of anti-Christian movements.

Metaxas sees these movements in American r media, schools, and government. The church is being cast as backwards, racist, bigoted, and full of hate.

When we look at everything the German church did wrong in the 1930s, there’s really no excuse for failing to do better now. We’ve seen the consequences. How much harsher will our judgment be now that we have that knowledge?

Silence is complicity, so speak up. The church is called to be a witness of Christ’s love and forgiveness, but also to help shape the world for the better. When Paul implored us to submit to governing authorities, he didn’t mean at the expense of our faith inGod’s word. If the government asks anything of us – including our silence – that violates God’s commands, we have permission to disobey.

The American Church is doomed to follow in the footsteps of Bonhoeffer’s church if it doesn’t learn from its mistakes. The invisible barrier preventing Christians from speaking up is a false one. Breaking that barrier doesn’t carry any consequences that you can’t handle with the help of God. Christians can’t afford to be so concerned with avoiding politics that they silently consent to the unthinkable. And on an individual level they need to assess their faith and ask themselves whether they’re merely wearing the trappings of faith or living it wholeheartedly.