broken over others' brokenness

     I have recently been engrossed in the book "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile vs The Third Reich." I promise you that by the end of the summer I will do an in-depth review of this book, but I currently want to post about something I have noticed that I have been lacking in my own life. Bonhoeffer, through his travels around the world, always seemed to be broken over others' brokenness. He, for example, saw the plight of the African-Americans in the mid 1900s and was amazed at how a country that claimed to be one founded upon the principles of God could allow such an atrocity. Little did he know that in Germany, the same thing on a bigger scale was beginning to erupt. However, Bonhoeffer--an outsider--was given the opportunity to look in and see that something was wrong. Lately, I have noticed that not only in the Church, but in my life, that there is little to no brokenness for others. The reason is very simple--self-absorption. We have become the center of our selfish mini-worlds. Ego has replaced the very heart of being a Christ follower. Now granted, there is some issues that I have with people who follow simply a social gospel [if you don't SHARE the gospel, all the work is in vain]. However, at least they are doing something. Christ did not sit back and strategically plan how to draw people into the Church. He was on the front lines. He was in the trenches. He was at the table with sinners and tax collectors. We have become the Pharisees who pick and choose who should be allowed to follow Christ. How dare we. How dare I. From this moment on, I am going to go reach others for Christ. I am going to go at least attempt to make disciples. I am going to go and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am going to go preach the Word. The Word is the only source from which we can know true salvation. This is our purpose. Don't believe me? Matthew 28:19.