Eric Metaxas. Letter to the American Church. Salem Books, 2022.
We have reviewed a few books by Eric Metaxas. Letter to the American Church borrows a little from If You Can Keep It, but relies most heavily on research the author did a number of years ago on the life of Dietrich Bonhoffer.
The first part of Letter to the American Church provides some detail on why only a minority of the Christians in Germany opposed Nazism. It was not because Hitler was a Christian (see our review of Ibsen and Hitler). It was because the church in Germany (both Catholic and Protestant) had become skeptical of the Bible.
Instead of people living lives according to biblical precepts, they began picking and choosing what parts they wanted to believe. Once relativism sets in, moral relativism soon follows. This was written before the recent nationwide demonstrations supporting the Palestinian attempts at “eradicating” Jews, but such things, especially at colleges, remind us that Metaxas’ message is not to be ignored.
While the church is not in itself a political organization—and the American First Amendment protects its people and activities—neither is the Bible apolitical. While the Bible exhorts us to pray for and respect those in authority, it also reminds us that there are such things as unjust laws and sinful acts. Yes, Paul apologized for calling the high priest a name, but Moses’ family rightly disobeyed the pharaoh’s unjust law calling for the murder of baby boys.
Things have changed in Metaxas’ day, however. A hundred years ago many Fundamentalists saw even voting as a compromise with an evil system. That is no longer the case. Still, he warns, many see evangelism as the only job of the church. He then asks, what did Jesus mean when He said “make disciples”? After all, our actions show what we really believe, regardless of what we say we believe. Metaxas says God is not fooled. Or as a friend who had a street ministry put it, “You can’t con God.”
Metaxas tells of a conversation he had with a Christian leader and preacher who boasted that he was careful not to discuss any issues that might get him canceled. He said he only spoke about Gospel issues. Metaxas challenged him.
It never occurred to him that by playing such a game, he was making it more difficult for people in a free society to speak the truth, and that this ability to speak truth freely and without fear is indeed a “Gospel issue.” (82)
After all, he tells us, no one cared more about evangelism than William Wilberforce, but he also cared about abolishing the slave trade. (85)
Metaxas noted this after listing numerous injustices we see in our country today (84). He believes that most people seem to be silent or intimidated about such things today.
The last chapter the author notes the courage of President Reagan when he challenged, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” He knew that no place was free if its government had to build a wall to keep its people from leaving. He also realized that the Soviet Union was “built on a lie,” and was therefore unsustainable. Communist theory is a lie. It does not work and is not true. (For a bit more on this see his Is Atheism Dead?)
You see, Metaxas explains that the Soviet Union “like all bullies” presented itself stronger than it actually was. God is greater. His truth endures. Let us not see the American church, America’s Christians, “wimp out.” As the Lord told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).