Bonhoeffer Quote

I had to break my blogging fast to post this quote by Bonhoeffer.  I Hope its a blessing to you:
In speaking about the sermon on the mount Bonhoeffer writes:

The "blessed one" in Jesus' discourse is the one who is refusing to be in tune with the world, or to accommodate oneself to its standards.  Such people mourn for the world, for its guilt, its fate, and its fortune.  While the world keeps holiday....they mourn...while the world dreams of power....the meek renounce every right of their own and live for the sake of Jesus Christ.  When reproached, they hold their peace...they will not go to law to defend their rights...They are determined to leave their rights to God alone."

Bonhoeffer absolutely nails the message of the cross here and how it applies to believers.  Sadly, its the case that the church is often found trying to look, sound, and be like the world.  All the while the call of the cross is that the foolish and weak things of God confound the so-called "wise" and "strong" in the world.  There is triumphalism, and then there is the cross of Jesus.  Take it up, and follow after him, no matter how odd, uncool, or weird it looks in the eyes of the world or in the eyes of the visible church.  This is the paradox of the cross.