Actions, Words, and Inaction

"Actions speak louder than words." Or as it is sometimes phrased, "What you do speaks so loud I can't hear a word you're saying!" This is certainly true of words and actions. If a husband says he loves his wife, but then goes out and has an affair with another woman his words are rather meaningless, aren't they.

Also, as we discussed a while back, words left unspoken can literally speak volumes. So, actions not taken can send a message too. Inaction sometimes speaks louder than words. This is especially true when it comes to leaders in a country or a community or a church body.

Luther talks about this in his Large Catechism in his discussion of the 8th Commandment. He writes,

"although no one has a right in his own person to judge and condemn anybody, yet if they to whose office it belongs fail to do it, they sin as well as he who would do so of his own accord, without such office. For here necessity requires one to speak of the evil, to prefer charges, to investigate and testify;

All this has been said regarding secret sins. But where the sin is quite public so that the judge and everybody know it, you can without any sin avoid him and let him go, because he has brought himself into disgrace, and you may also publicly testify concerning him. For when a matter is public in the light of day, there can be no slandering or false judging or testifying; as, when we now reprove the Pope with his doctrine, which is publicly set forth in books and proclaimed in all the world. For where the sin is public, the reproof also must be public, that every one may learn to guard against it."
(Large Catechism, Ten Commandments, paragraphs 274 & 284)

The "office" spoken of by Luther in the Large Catechism, is occupied by Pastors and elders in the congregation, and in our Synod's organizational structure, by the District Presidents who oversee matters within their districts. We [Intrepid Lutherans] have been encouraged by various individuals not to make assumption about the seeming inaction of various District Presidents concerning matters of public practice which are drawing our concern. We have been asked not to assume that nothing is being done, or not to assume that they agree with all that goes on in certain places in their Districts -- like RSO status of The Time of Grace, for example (which we have mentioned before on Intrepid Lutherans, here and here). OK, fair enough. We agree.

But by the same token, these same individuals, and others, must then also not assume we are out of line to ask, inquire, and encourage action against sectarian activities going on under the WELS banner. And, as long as we do not see any actual action being taken, we are very right and correct, according to Dr. Luther, to continue to ask, inquire, and urge action be taken. That too is only fair.

For just as actions can speak louder than words, and unspoken words speak volumes, so inaction can say a great deal too!

And That's The Way We See It

Pastor Spencer