Oct 3 2019 Mark 13: 1-13 Commemoration of George Bell

When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
George Bell was Bishop of Chichester, England. He was very involved in ecumenism, or bringing different churches together, playing a big role in the early World Council of Churches. He also was a key player in the world’s knowledge and reaction to what was happening in Nazi Germany.

He was a close friend of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian, critic of the Nazis and ultimately a martyr. Bell was Bonhoeffer’s closest ally outside of Germany and frequently shared information with Europe and the US about what was really happening, from the perspective of a German God-follower. He helped German and Jewish refugees escape the mainland to England.

Reading what he wrote about WWII, it’s hard not to draw some comparisons to today. He said he stated that the church should not be allowed to be just a spiritual help to the state, but rather an advocate of peaceful international relations and make a stand against expulsion, enslavement and the destruction of morality.

He was outspoken in his criticism of things he believed to be wrong, both on the side of the Nazis and later when the Allies were conducting indiscriminate bombings in Germany. It is suspected this criticism of the Allies cost him a significant position in the Church.

After reading a book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I admit I was struck by George Bell’s quiet, yet powerful role in the resistance faith community in Nazi Germany. So today, I was eager when his name came up on the list of commemorations.

But today, reading about him, I discovered that Bell is not without problems. As recent as 2018, the Church of England was investigating child abuse allegations against Bell who died in 1958. It’s fair to say the case was not handled well, causing pain to both Bell’s family and the accuser’s, and apologies to both.

I'm not sure there was ever definitive closure over the allegations, but today, that’s not the point. If abuse occurred, that’s horrible, and should not be swept under the rug. And regardless, George Bell did good things. He’s not inherently or entirely good, nor is he inherently or entirely bad. When the Holy Spirit was working in and through him, his words and actions were a great lifeline for Bonhoeffer and the Professing Church, who otherwise seemed to have no voice outside of Germany. 

This morning I’m thinking about the complexities of we mortals. How we get so much wrong on our own. And when we do that, how easy it is to categorize each other as right or wrong. I’ve no idea when he met his maker, what transpired between George Bell and God. But I am certain that whatever occurred, it was between God and George Bell. I am not suggesting the bad bits of Bell should be exalted, but neither should the good bits be dismissed. Today, I pray that I can see God’s good actions, even in mortally imperfect people.