In 1942 Sophie was horrified at the atrocities being committed against her Jewish neighbors. At age 21 she understood she needed to stop blaming evil people for doing evil things. Our responsibility is to stand in the middle of the road and prevent their evil agenda.
Sophie joins the White Rose Resistance, co-founded by her 24 year old brother Hans and together they work to expose the nazis and call the Christians to action, whom Bonhoeffer called, “Cheap grace Christians, who would only preach as much truth as the spirit of the age allowed them.”
In 1943 Sophie and Hans take things to the next level as they walk onto the campus of the University of Munich and begin to distribute leaflets, calling
others to action on behalf of those being rounded up and placed in concentration camps. Sophie walks to the third floor balcony and throws hundreds of these leaflets down to the Atrium below.
The janitor catches them in the act, calls the gestapo and has them arrested on the spot. Because they were arrested they missed a meeting they had that afternoon with a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who had been so incensed and encouraged by their bravery that he had come to meet with them.
Sophie didn’t blame the doers of evil, she blamed us. She said:
"The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.’ The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don't want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won't take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don't like to make waves - or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honor, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small.. die small. It's the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you'll keep it under control. If you don't make any noise the boogeyman won't find you… But it's all an illusion, because they die too. Those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does… I choose my own way to burn.”
Sophie understood that you and I are suppose to be the good people who don't just believe the truth but
live the truth. Before the nazis would escort her to the guillotine, according to her cellmate, Sophie would look at her barred window with a little bit of sky light and say,
“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 it matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?”
Sophie’s final words according to the executioner were, “The sun still shines” and her brother Hans final words were simply, “Freedom.”
Evil only triumphs when good men do nothing. As Samuel Adams said, “It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” There is always hope when there are those willing to give themselves up individually as Sophie said, to a righteous cause, to stand uncompromising for the truth.
If you are fearful or feel unqualified, remember: God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. It is in our weakness He is made strong. Scripture says, perfect love casts out fear. We may not see the results in our day. Sophie and Hans didn’t, but we have been called and placed on earth for such a time as this.
Tags: Christian, Jewish, Truth
