"Another point: we are often told in the New Testament to 'be strong' (1 Cor 16:13; Eph 6:10, 2 Tim 2:1; 1 john 2:14). Isn't people's weakness (stupidity, lack of independence, forgetfulness, cowardice, vanity, corruptibility, temptability, etc.) a greater danger than evil? Christ not only makes people 'good'; he makes them strong, too. The sins of weakness are the real human sins, whereas the wilful sins are diabolical (and no doubt 'strong', too!). I must think about this again."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, p148.
are WE made strong or is it Christ's strength that shows through in spite of our weaknesses? Is lack of independence always a weakness? Aren't we called to be dependent on each other as the family of God, and dependent on God for everything? I'm intrigued and need to give this more thought...
ReplyDelete