| Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak. Christians are doing too little to make these points clear rather than too much. Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. Christians should take a stronger stand in favor of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sermon on II Corinthians 12:9 |
| Martin Luther, commenting on verse 1 of Psalm 82: "So, then, this first verse teaches that to rebuke rulers is not seditious, provided it is done in the way here described, namely, by the office to which God has committed that duty, and through God's Word, spoken publicly, boldly, and honestly. To rebuke rulers in this way is, on the contrary, a praiseworthy, noble and rare virtue, and a particularly great service to God. . . It would be far more seditious if a preacher did not rebuke the sins of the rulers; for then he makes people angry and sullen, strengthens the wickedness in tyrants, becomes a partaker in it, and bears responsibility for it." |
The Story of Kairos: A Time to Speak, A Time to Act
This material was developed by a group of people in the Seattle area with input from others around the
country who were drawn together by a common concern: We sought to explore how we might respond to
the anguish we each felt regarding the direction our nation has been pursuing in recent years. The
community that came together around this issue felt led by the Holy Spirit to challenge themselves and
our fellow Christians to address this situation as followers of Jesus Christ.
We offer the Kairos 2006 Statement, Stand of Confession, Discussion Questions, Resource Guides,
and Model Resolution with modesty and boldness. With modesty because we do not presume to speak
for the rest of the Church nor do we see any of this as definitive or final. With boldness because, led by
the Spirit, we have struggled to be faithful to Jesus’ call to be peacemakers and justice seekers as we
wrestled with these concerns and crafted these materials. It is our conviction that this is a time that
above all calls for action, grounded in theological clarity and moral conviction.
We commit ourselves to hold one another accountable to our stand of confession and to finding
effective ways to act.
We challenge those who receive Kairos 2006 to take the concerns we have raised and to respond as
the Spirit leads you. We ask you to use these materials in whatever way is appropriate for you. It is our
hope that they will inspire discussion, reflection, and most of all, action in the name of Jesus for the
sake of the world. 4-25-06
This material was developed by a group of people in the Seattle area with input from others around the
country who were drawn together by a common concern: We sought to explore how we might respond to
the anguish we each felt regarding the direction our nation has been pursuing in recent years. The
community that came together around this issue felt led by the Holy Spirit to challenge themselves and
our fellow Christians to address this situation as followers of Jesus Christ.
We offer the Kairos 2006 Statement, Stand of Confession, Discussion Questions, Resource Guides,
and Model Resolution with modesty and boldness. With modesty because we do not presume to speak
for the rest of the Church nor do we see any of this as definitive or final. With boldness because, led by
the Spirit, we have struggled to be faithful to Jesus’ call to be peacemakers and justice seekers as we
wrestled with these concerns and crafted these materials. It is our conviction that this is a time that
above all calls for action, grounded in theological clarity and moral conviction.
We commit ourselves to hold one another accountable to our stand of confession and to finding
effective ways to act.
We challenge those who receive Kairos 2006 to take the concerns we have raised and to respond as
the Spirit leads you. We ask you to use these materials in whatever way is appropriate for you. It is our
hope that they will inspire discussion, reflection, and most of all, action in the name of Jesus for the
sake of the world. 4-25-06
Kairos: A Time to Speak, A Time to Act
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