The White Rose

Lately I have been learning about The White Rose, a political activist group against Nazi-Germany. Three of the members were convicted for high treason and executed that day. Sophie Scholl was one of them, a girl my age who stood up for her beliefs that were very much the result of her faith in God (there is an excellent movie that explains her story called Sophie Scholl: The Final Days if you're interested). My church has been referencing this story to explain how, like in Sophie's case, sometimes the Gospel is seen as Offense, as in the Christmas story in Matthew 2. We can take assurance in that we have something to live for beyond ourselves and our agendas. Jim Elliot, a well-known Christian martyr, states this in well-known quote, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Such a line a thinking is enforced in our culture in movies like Serendipity, that references the Greek's view on life: "You know the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: 'Did he have passion?'. "

How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause. Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?

Sophie Scholl's last words.

For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21.