Discovering Our Identity, Part 7

Most of us have identities that have been shaped, in part, by our earthly fathers. Who am I? I am Al Schock’s son. His life stamped my life in abundant ways. I still share his love for thunderstorms, weather, South Dakota, the soil, hunting pheasants, and politics. He was also a potent model of forgiveness, generosity, and care for others. At his funeral several people told me that working for Al Schock was their best and most enjoyable job.

As a child of God, I am called to develop and display God-like character in this godless world: Don’t complain or argue so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars. Phil.2:14-16.

During my college years, I played a lot of pickup basketball with the school’s coaches and wellness faculty. One day after a rather intense session, one of the coaches took me aside and scolded me: “Bernie, you are one of the best players on the court. But no one wants to play with you because you are such a whiner. You call little touch fouls, especially if you miss a shot. And you seldom admit you committed a foul when someone calls one on you.” Ouch! As a child of God who wanted to “shine like a star”, I had a lot of work to do. My star was clouded over by my obnoxious character.

Jesus proclaimed that love for our enemies demonstrates that we belong to the Father’s forever family: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your father in heaven. (Matt.5:44)  During World War II, German pastor Heinrich Gruber couldn’t join his nation’s plunge into unspeakable evil. He observed that when his German brothers don their uniforms, they doff their consciences. But that didn’t stop Gruber from sheltering Jews and boldly sharing the gospel with many Nazis. When the infamous Adolf Eichmann asked Gruber why he wanted to help the Jews, Gruber bravely recounted Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan: “Once there lay on the Jericho road a Jew who had fallen among thieves. Then a man passed by who was not a Jew, and helped him. The Lord whom I alone obey tells me, ‘Go and do likewise.’” Though sharing the gospel with the Nazis greatly increased the risks he was taking, he “believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ was powerful enough to change the heart of even the most ruthless Nazi. Therefore he tried to approach every Nazi he met as someone who needed redemption.”