I was at a gathering the other day, friends and friends of friends. A friendly group of people was initially comfortable with one another, but when specific issues were raised, small cracks began to appear in the peaceful evening. We had all been so social and agreeable, but when subjects were raised, friendships disintegrated, and boundaries rose. As the evening wore on, two different countries were forming, and each side was moving into a distressing no man’s land. It bothered me deeply.

I had been reading a work by Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), granted, it was on a political understanding of Totalitarianism. It was what Hannah concluded from her study of Nazi Germany. She was interested in how and why the Nazi ideology had made a Christian nation turn towards an inhuman and aggressive way of being. She studied the ideology and presented what she thought were dynamics that turned people of the German society into followers of the Reich, or why another group of the society was complicit in saying nothing about the degeneration of the Christian culture it had historically claimed.

She found that the ideology of the Nazis was a cultural force that, through propaganda, had infected society’s thinking. It was everywhere; it grew to include loneliness, fear of saying anything that challenged the capacity to think. It developed an inequality between people; some were better and more worthy than others. There was no respect for human dignity. If there was thinking, it was only allowed in the party line accepted. The Christians in Germany stood aside and, except for a few like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, said nothing.

Why would I bring this up? Because there are some parallels in our current society. We are not living in Nazi Germany, but we are seeing a deterioration of human dignity and the loss of civil communication. There is a disconnect between people who refuse to find common ground. The youth culture seems to prioritize pleasure over responsibility. Some people are not seen as worthy of our respect as others. The current culture is about ME. Me is only interested in financial gain and the symbols this can afford. Deep thinking and challenging education are not as critical as entertainment and consumption. The human side of living, family and children, home and work, our responsibility to the community, and the common good are not a focus of the current culture.

How does this all challenge the Christian? As I said, Germany was a Christian nation, but the Christians, if not condoning the Ideology, did not speak up against it. In some ways, it is almost understandable, first because it comes so easily into our homes, churches, and everyday life. We are at first not realizing what is happening. We hate to confront our sons and daughters; we feel somewhat out of place to stand up, stop, or speak what we see. It is uncomfortable. When our own children adopt this consumerist ideology, we prefer to remain neutral. Can a Christian remain neutral? What can we do if we do not speak directly?

As a Christian, we have the direction we are to go, to love one another, but how do we do that under the situation we often find ourselves in? First, there is prayer; we can call on our Father to grant us grace. We can call on the Holy Spirit for courage before the challenge. We can set good examples for our children, showing them us praying, attending Church, and being generous to our neighbors. If we cannot speak in public, we can witness in our Christian lives in the very way we live. A grace-filled life speaks with love, concern for others, compassion, and hope. Others may question the path they are on, leadng to nothing but death. It may stop them to consider why you are so joyous and at peace. These blessed values of Faith, Hope, and love are seriously lacking in the public square.

I ask you, my Christian brothers and sisters, to pray that we may stand against consumerism and selfishness and witness to the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to show us who we are and that we were meant for love.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

(Psalm 136 1-9)