Summer is ending. A fresh semester is underway. Amidst the hugs and handshakes, the Biola student and faculty body are reconnecting or even meeting for the first time. Undoubtedly, many are sharing fond memories and exciting highlights from the past three months.

I, in particular, had the opportunity to tour Eastern Europe this past June. My journey began in Poland, from where I headed south to visit Slovakia, Hungary and Austria before turning northward through the Czech Republic and ending in Berlin, Germany.

Lesser-known tourist attraction has great significance

Berlin is a lively city, especially after the fall of the Berlin Wall brought a cathartic end to suffocating Communist tyranny. Tourists now bustle through the city to visit sites such as the famous Brandenburg Gate, the majestic Reichstag or the Sony Center, a new, booming commercial hub.

Hidden away from the clamor of the popular attractions, on a serene side street, however, is the modest Bendlerblock building. An even simpler memorial consisting of a plaque and reef lies in the courtyard. Yet, as small as it is, the memorial carries a weighty significance for it commemorates Claus von Stauffenberg and others who were executed there on July 20, 1944.

Stauffenburg was a Nazi military officer who joined the Resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and participated in one of the many plots to kill Adolf Hitler. Unfortunately, his assassination attempt failed, so he and others were promptly executed by firing squad in the Bendlerblock courtyard.

Religious influence behind historical plot

This historical account has recently been popularized by the movie “Valkyrie” starring Tom Cruise. What the movie does not depict, however, is the religious influence behind Stauffenburg’s decision to carry out the plot.

Stauffenburg was a devout Catholic, and along with many other Christians, such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he knew that in order to stand for righteousness and suppress evil, Hitler had to die.

The actions of these Christians in the Resistance movement were a stark contrast to many other Christians who simply surrendered to the Nazi movement, even to the point of allowing the Nazi government to dictate their beliefs.

God’s Kingdom bigger than Biola

My point is not to condemn the Christians who turned a blind eye to the evils of Nazism and yielded to its authority. Rather, it is to exhort believers today not to fall into the same lukewarm, misguided spirit; hopefully, it will not take a not-so-far-fetched atrocity like Nazi Germany to awaken a slumbering Church.

Unless you are new to the Biola community, you will probably know about the Biola Bubble, a “glorious, mystical, magical barrier against the outside world,” to use the words of Professor Scott Waller. But the Kingdom of God is not bounded by La Mirada Boulevard, Biola Avenue, and a few residential homes. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,” wrote King David in Psalm 24:1.

Stauffenburg, Bonhoeffer and other Christians in the Nazi Resistance did not insulate themselves from the events unfolding around them; indeed, they could not. They recognized their biblical calling to champion the Christian worldview and its associated way of living so that every sphere of society — politics included — comes under the rulership of Christ.

As the Biola community, then, we must likewise not only be aware of but also engage with current events, public opinions and legislative activities on all levels of government. So, it is the hope that the Political Spotlight section of The Chimes will be an aid and catalyst to do just that. Read this section, write in response to it, pray through what you encounter, and join the conversation. An exciting year awaits all of us.