Summary: A great hero of faith, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, once wrote to his fiancee, "Our marriage must be a 'yes' to God's earth. It must strengthen our resolve to do and accomplish something on earth. I fear that Christians who venture to stand on earth on only one leg will stand in heaven on only one leg too." I think his quote, while humorous, actually reflects Jesus' words in John 17, "I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world."Jesus has sent us into the world. He does not want to take us out of the world. We are on a mission while we're here! We are not of this world- but we are in it, and we can work to do God's will while we are. Resist the temptation to separate, vacate, and alienate. Stay when others leave. Build relationships. Share God's love. This will radically transform you and those you're trying to reach, as well as open doors to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with your world.
