For God's Sake, Do Something Courageous
by John D. Roth
2025, 40:40 min
John Roth delivered this keynote address to the 2025 Mennonite Church Manitoba annual meeting in Steinbach, MB on March 1, 2025.
In this cultural moment we must, “for God’s sake, do something courageous,” and the particular courage we need to muster is the courage to love. “Love in the way of Jesus requires courage, the courage to confront the powers, to push back on evil, to take risks especially on behalf of those who are vulnerable.”
John highlights the reality of many 16th century Anabaptists who were fined, forced from their homes, imprisoned, tortured or killed - and asks us today, 500 years later, what does it mean to do something courageous, for God's sake. The challenges facing our congregations today, of course, are not exactly the same as those of the early Anabaptists, but they can feel just as overwhelming: climate change, social media, consumption, artificial intelligence, the breaking of our social contract.
How is God leading? Where is history heading? What is our role in shaping history? What does it mean to bear witness to a vision of human community rooted in shalom, honouring the dignity of every human being, sharing freely the gifts we have received from God, loving even our enemies with courage? It is our calling to have the courage to love - actively, imaginatively, vulnerably, following in the footsteps of Jesus.
In this cultural moment we must, “for God’s sake, do something courageous,” and the particular courage we need to muster is the courage to love. “Love in the way of Jesus requires courage, the courage to confront the powers, to push back on evil, to take risks especially on behalf of those who are vulnerable.”
John highlights the reality of many 16th century Anabaptists who were fined, forced from their homes, imprisoned, tortured or killed - and asks us today, 500 years later, what does it mean to do something courageous, for God's sake. The challenges facing our congregations today, of course, are not exactly the same as those of the early Anabaptists, but they can feel just as overwhelming: climate change, social media, consumption, artificial intelligence, the breaking of our social contract.
How is God leading? Where is history heading? What is our role in shaping history? What does it mean to bear witness to a vision of human community rooted in shalom, honouring the dignity of every human being, sharing freely the gifts we have received from God, loving even our enemies with courage? It is our calling to have the courage to love - actively, imaginatively, vulnerably, following in the footsteps of Jesus.
| Type | Video |
| Genre | Personal Theory/Thesis |
| Expression | Lecture/Presentations |
| Topic | Courage, Navigating Post-Christian Culture |
| Audience | Adults |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Mennonite Church Manitoba |
| Collection | Anabaptism at 500 |
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