Underwood Unplugged

This afternoon, I finally finished the third book in the "Great Conversations" series by Ravi Zacharias. I already considered Ravi one of my favorite Christian authors, but this series has been... exceptional.

His first in this series, The Lotus and the Cross, portrays a fictional "what-if" type of conversation between Jesus and Buddha. The second volume, Sense and Sensuality, posed a conversation between Jesus and the English poet Oscar Wilde about living for pleasure.

This current book, The Lamb and the Fuhrer, is a conversation between Jesus and Adolph Hitler.

I thought the conversation would have something to do with grace and judgment. Could even Hitler, the most notoriously-evil leader of our time (or "all time"?) have found forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ? Could He escape God's judgment?

The book did go there, but focused most of its energies on Hitler's own life, beliefs, and self-delusions.

During his life, Hitler exalted himself as a "god" who meted out judgments based on his own philosophy or beliefs.

He believed that Germany - and more specifically, the Aryan race - was to be the superior race and rule over a powerful kingdom for a thousand years. He believed that anyone weak, diseased, or disabled, should be exposed of. To him, the Jews were an inferior, conniving group of people who should be wiped off the face of the earth.

Hitler told himself (and others) that His will would not be stopped. That he was the supreme leader, emperor, rule-maker, and decision-maker. It was all propaganda, deception, authoritarian rhetoric that millions of people bought into.

Hitler chose his own laws over God's. Hitler chose his own absolute judgment and lack of forgiveness over Christ's offer of redemption, forgiveness, and love. Hitler chose a facade of love for country over any form of genuine love.

Author Ravi Zacharias weaves a great, imaginary conversation between Jesus and Hitler, just several moments after Hitler's suicide. Ravi also introduces several people into the discussion - people who knew Hitler during his lifetime and stood as witnesses of the man's personality and (lack of) character.

As usual, Ravi goes back into some of the philosophies and ideas that influenced Hitler's own way of thought - naturalism, nihilism, Nietzsche, etc. Interesting to note the consequence of ideas as they take shape in the following generation. Hitler's life and legacy served a message to the world about what life is like when you remove God from the equation...

Or at least "try to remove God." God is still in control - before, during, and after the reigns of human rulers. He sets them up and also makes them fall.