Memorial Day weekend. Celebrated everywhere as the
unofficial beginning of summer, but celebrated more importantly
as we remember the sacrifice of those who paid the ultimate price
in the defense of freedom. This nation owes them an incredible
debt, one that can never be repaid.
This morning I want to share with you the account of some
heroes with which you might not be so familiar. These heroes
were not Americans; they were Germans - pastors, professors,
theologians. In an act of tremendous courage, they challenged
Hitler in his rise to power, and became a prophetic "voice crying
in the wilderness" to alert the world to the danger growing
within their own borders. Seventy-five years ago this coming
weekend (May 31, 1934), they issued a statement called the
Theological Declaration of Barmen announcing to all the world
(and particularly to the Nazis) that the Church belonged to Jesus
Christ and not to Adolph Hitler.
To understand what led up to this, you need a bit of
historical background. First of all, remember that our American
concept of the separation of church and state is an AMERICAN
concept; to this day, many nations around the world have an
OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED state religion with churches and clergy
supported through the tax system. Until World War I, this was
the case in Germany. However, that relationship was abolished by
the German constitution in 1919 (although Lutheran, Reformed, and
Roman Catholic churches still received support from civil tax
monies). Many in the church wanted a return to the "good old
days."
Meanwhile, National Socialism was on the rise and many in
the churches jumped on the Nazi bandwagon - they could see no
conflict between their Christian commitment and their aspirations
for an again-powerful Germany. They were not worried about links
between the church and the government - after all, this was their
heritage, and the Bible certainly recognizes the role of the
state as an instrument of God's good order. They were not even
particularly distressed at the Nazi oppression of the Jews -
after all Martin Luther himself "wanted Germany rid of the Jews
and when they were sent away he advised that they be deprived of
`all their cash and jewels and silver and gold' and furthermore,
`that their synagogues or schools be set on fire, that their
houses be broken up and destroyed...and they be put under a roof
or stable, like the gypsies...in misery and captivity as they
incessantly lament and complain to God about us' - advice that
was literally followed four centuries later by Hitler, Göring and
Himmler." (1) Luther was a wonderful man in many ways, but in this
area - anti-Semitism - he was awful.
Hitler decided to take advantage of his opportunity and,
despite the fact that he was not a religious man himself (he was
a nominal Roman Catholic), encouraged the formation of a "German-Christian" church. The "German-Christians" held their first
national convention in Berlin April 3, 4 and 5, 1933 and passed
the following resolution:
God has created me a German. Germanism is a gift
of God. God wants me to fight for my Germany.
Military service is in no sense a violation of the
Christian conscience, but is obedience to God. The
believer possesses the right of revolution against a
State that furthers the powers of darkness. He also
has this right in the face of a Church board that does
not unreservedly acknowledge the exaltation of the
nation. For the German the church is the fellowship of
believers who are obligated to fight for a Christian
Germany. The goal of the "Faith Movement" of "German-Christians" is an evangelical German Reich Church. (2)
A new church constitution was written on the basis of
existing confessions of faith and was accepted by state law on
July 14, 1933 - essentially, it unified all protestant churches
and religious organizations under one national church. The
church was now under the control of the state.
This was unacceptable to a number of courageous clergy. A
"Pastor's Emergency League" was established (at the behest of a
letter from the Rev. Martin Niemöller, pastor of the Dahlem
Lutheran congregation in suburban Berlin, to protest what was
happening. For Niemöller, this was a difficult step - he had
been a U-Boat captain in World War I prior to going into the
ministry; he was a patriot who initially supported the rise of
Hitler and National Socialism - but now it was becoming evident
that the aims of Hitler and the aims of the Christian Church
could never be reconciled. By January, 1934, over 7,000 German
pastors had joined the League.
In response to the problems, the First Free Reformed Synod
met in Barmen-Gemarke, January 3 and 4, 1934 with 320 elders and
ministers present. It endorsed a document prepared by a young
theologian named Karl Barth called "Declaration Concerning the
Right Understanding of the Reformation Confessions of Faith in
the German Evangelical Church of the Present." (Catchy titles
were not their strong suit.) This was the first anti-Nazi
confession by a church body rather than an individual theologian
or group of theologians.
On January 4, Ludwig Müller, a former Army chaplain whom
Hitler had appointed as Reich Bishop (the ecclesiastical head of
the German-Christian Church) issued an order forbidding any
public criticism of church administration or discussion of church
controversy. O, really? The following Sunday, the Pastor's
Emergency League orchestrated statements of protest that were
read in over 4,000 German churches.
In an effort to stifle the opposition, Hitler invited 40
prominent church leaders to meet with him on January 25th. He
said, "You leave the care of the Third Reich to me and you look
after the church." That SOUNDED good, but Hitler still planned
to control the church through Reichbishop Müller. As the
clergymen were leaving, Martin Niemöller addressed Hitler: "Herr
Reichskanzler, you said just now, `I will take care of the German
people.' But we too as Christians and churchmen have a
responsibility toward the German people. That responsibility was
entrusted to us by God, and neither you nor anyone in this world
has the power to take it from us." (3) It was downhill from there.
On April 22, the Pastor's Emergency League formed the
Constitutional Evangelical Church of Germany (the "Confessing
Church" as it became known) and declared it to be the true church
within German protestantism. A Synod was called for the end of
May and a committee of three men (one of whom was Karl Barth) was
appointed to handle the theological preparation to contrast their
position with the Reich Church.
On May 29, 1934, 139 youthful clergy and lay representatives
(their average age was less than 40) from 18 German provincial
churches (Lutheran, Reformed, and United [Lutheran & Reformed])
met in Barmen-Wuppertal as the First Confessing Synod of the
German Evangelical Church. They had gathered to protest Nazi
interference in the churches and the errors of the "German-Christian" movement. During their three-day meeting, they raised
and answered some basic questions: Who is Lord - God or the
State? What is the relation of the church to the State? Who or
what constitutes revelation?
They began their brief statement with the reasons for their
gathering and why they felt compelled to speak out. (4) The second
section of the document was entitled "Theological Declaration
Concerning the Present Situation of the German Evangelical
Church." These were the errors they rejected:
1) Some German-Christians had seen Hitler's rise and his
programs as God's way of speaking to the nation. The theologians
disagreed - they said only Christ is the revelation of God; what
you happen to see around you is not sufficient to discern God's
purpose or plan.
2) Some wanted to say the church should keep its nose out of
secular affairs. (My word! Can you ever imagine anyone saying
such a thing?) The Declaration says NO: Jesus Christ is Lord of
ALL, including the "secular."
3) Some wanted these folks to keep quiet and not rock the
national boat. But the Declaration states that the church may
neither speak nor keep silent for the sake of political
expediency. When something must be said, something MUST be said!
4) There are various offices in the life of the Church, but
those offices are established for the sake of good order and the
exercise of ministry. The State cannot dictate to the church by
the appointment those officers.
5) The State has responsibility for providing justice and
peace in society. However, the State is NOT responsible for
everything, and it cannot usurp the church's role.
6) The Church is called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, the
message of the free grace of God; the Church does not exist to
promote the interests of the State.
The Theological Declaration of Barmen. No statement before
had so carefully explained the relationship between a nation and
the Church. With the Psalmist they said, "Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord." Not Hitler. Not Roosevelt or Churchill
or Stalin or any other human leader.
Then who IS Lord? Listen again to the Apostle Paul in
Colossians:
[Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in
heaven and on earth were created, things visible and
invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers or
powers - all things have been created through him and
for him. He himself is before all things, and in him
all things hold together. He is the head of the body,
the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from
the dead, so that he might come to have first place in
everything. For in him all the fullness of the Godhead
was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased
to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or
in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his
cross.
Who is Lord? Jesus Christ is Lord! In a nutshell, that is
the statement made by the Barmen Declaration. If any other
person or any other entity (even the State) is elevated to a
position of supreme importance, that is idolatry, and idolatry in
any form is sin. No human being or institution may have ultimate
authority in our lives. No human ruler or institution may be
followed uncritically. It is here that the Church must be
willing to take its stand.
Thousands of Christians in Germany in the Nazi years DID
take that stand. Some paid for it with their liberty, some with
their life. Years after the war, Martin Niemöller (who spent
most of that period in the concentration camp at Dachau)
reflected on that tragic time. He said,
In Germany they first came for the Communists, and
I didn't speak because I wasn't a Communist. Then they
came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I
wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Trade Unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Trade
Unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I
didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they
came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak
up. (5)
It is now three-quarters of a century after Barmen, and the
dangers might not be so painfully obvious, but in recent years in
America, we have seen some elements of the church align
themselves with particular political leaders, promoting partisan
positions and ignoring egregious error. The message of history
is that is incredibly dangerous. Thus, we must continue to speak
up. Barmen is 75, but its work is not done. Remember, Abraham
was 75 when he was just getting started.
Jesus Christ is Lord! The world has seen the last of
Hitler, but it has not seen the last of Jesus. If we have not
met him before, we will encounter him at the end of human
history. Scripture says there will come a day when EVERY knee
shall bow...and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Yes, there will come a day when the Hitlers and Husseins and
all the dictators and tyrants, will reluctantly declare that
Jesus Christ is Lord! There will come a day when crime will no
longer pay because Jesus Christ is Lord. There will come a day
when justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a
mighty stream because Jesus Christ is Lord! There will come a
day when ALL God's children, red and yellow, black and white,
will join in one mighty chorus and sing, Jesus Christ is Lord!
There will come a day when all tears are wiped away and there
will be no more sorrow or pain or crying or death because Jesus
Christ is Lord.
Can you hear it? Down through the corridors of time faintly
echo the strains. At first they are almost drowned out by the
gunfire and bombs of history's horrors; they are almost
overpowered by the screams of rockets and missiles and sirens.
But then louder and louder they come and one day the rafters of
the universe will resound: "King of Kings and Lord of Lords and
He shall reign forever and ever! Hallelujah!" Jesus Christ is
Lord! Now and always.
Amen!
1. William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, (New York: Simon & Shuster,
1960), P. 236
2. Jack Rogers, Presbyterian Creeds, A Guide to the Book of Confessions, (Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1985), p. 182
3. ibid., p. 187
4. Material regarding the text of the Declaration comes from The Book of Confessions of the
Presbyterian Church (USA)
5. Quoted by Rogers, p. 196
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