At the heart of the issues of justice, especially when it involves violence, in this fallen world, is a distinction that becomes indispensable in understanding how a Christian should act or believe. On the one hand, we are absolutely commanded to love. In no uncertain terms, the new command of Jesus is to love one another. This command in addition to a life summed up by “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbor as yourself,” makes it difficult to celebrate when an Old Testament, eye for an eye, justice is carried out. Jesus even turns the question of “Who is my neighbor?” into, in essence, “Who are you being a neighbor to?” Matthew and Luke tend to think Jesus even went so far as to say “Love your enemies!”

Now, I am in no way a fan of Bill Maher…as a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be able to tell you any of his stances, his shows, what movies he might be in or what he stands for. That said, in the video I’m attempting to post below, Mr. Maher, however smug, speaks truth to the majority of American Christians, myself included, on this issue of celebrating when an enemy is killed. (By the way, I think it would be awesome to write a book and name it “Auditors for Christ”)

WARNING: I do not condone the Strong Language used in this video. Consider this my attempt to guard your heart and ears from what might be regarded as a “stumbling block” to certain believers. As an aside: Regard this my attempt to warn you as well of judgement! Perhaps a video I post shades your view of me, while you are not judged for watching John Candy movies!

The other hand holds a very disturbing and highly misunderstood position. This position comes specifically in the form of a German theologian named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. On the road to becoming not just a voice, but a leader in the theological community, Bonhoeffer found himself stuck in, to use baseball jargon, a “pickle.” Bonhoeffer knew the severity with which Jesus spoke when it came love, and when Bonhoeffer had the chance to never return to Germany and avoid the horrors that lie there, he returned, determined to act redemptively. While doing all he could to help Jews flee the country, Bonhoeffer volunteered any influence he had to a group planning an assassination of Hitler. What people generally do not understand is that Bonhoeffer believed he was risking damnation. He could not stand by and do nothing, so he tried to save people; at the cost of his soul, he was willing to provide support for those trying to kill the Furhrer.

On a corporate level, Christ-followers need to reflect such an attitude. To revisit a quote, “the Church is my Mother,” ought to be a song we ever sing, but…in the rarest of evil occasions…when governments fail…the Disciple is faced with a choice: to continue to reflect a tormented Mother, or to resort to Whoredom at the risk Her Husband will never take Her back.

Ironically, it is my opinion (because I dare not take the Husband’s right), that it is when the Church recognizes Her adulterous ways, especially in a pre-meditated act of unfaithfulness, that Christ would be most willing to have Her as His Bride once more. It is when She tries to explain away Her misdeeds and horrors, when She condescendes to prophetic voices of idealists and atheists, when She sells Her wedding ring to buy contraceptives…when we call the lesser evils good, and celebrate them…that She is in the most danger of an estranged divorce.

In summation, I feel as though the Church reflects the servant with one talent, burying it, playing it safe, so that a vindictive Master will not brow beat us when He returns. I tend to think the Master would be more pleased to find that His servant invested the talent and that the investment went sour…at least then the servant remains in the Master’s house. The case, as tends to be revealed in the Biblical narrative, has never been that God punishes those who try and fail to love; it is when love grows cold that God’s eyes turn from His Bride. So please note, my kerygma is never for perfection (that’s fundamentalism/legalism), it is a much more subtle challenge to say, “You could at least try.” Trying does not mean success, it means the desire, passion, and love to fail again and again, yet still strive to obey.

Speak.

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