¶ … Christian When the Chips are Down by H. Thielicke

In Thielicke's book, which is translated from German, he talks of many of the ideas that Christians should have and what they can do to help others when these others are faced with dire and painful situations. This is the main idea of the book, and Thielicke discusses it very well as he explains how difficult it is to be a Christian sometimes and how compassion and many other Christian attributes are difficult to show at various times. These Christian ideals are especially important when others are suffering or in need, because caring for those that cannot care for themselves is but one of the things that Christians are generally supposed to do. In very dire circumstances, such as war and other painful issues, Christians should suspend their thinking of others as the enemy and see the others who are wounded and dying as fellow human beings who are in pain and in need of compassion. During times of difficulty, this is one of the most difficult things to do, and the title of the book is very accurate in that 'when the chips are down' implies that pain or aggravation is very near. It is a very difficult time that Thielicke refers to, and it could be a difficult time for the Christian, or a difficult time for someone that Christian meets, but it is rarely a happy occasion. Many Christians struggle with this issue because they have a difficult time doing the right thing in all situations. This is why being a Christian involves a continual process of learning and growing, so that the Christian person can do better in a future situation than he or she has done in a past situation. This kind of growth comes in many ways, but when the chips are down is a time that a lot of growth can happen if the Christian is willing to accept and understand the difficulties that can come with this type of situation and allow his or her own prejudices and opinions to be suspended long enough to allow for faith, hope, and goodwill toward all others to take place. This is likely the hardest lesson to learn, but reading Thielicke's book will help many to learn it faster.