Romero. King. Bonhoeffer.

In a way, late March to early April feels like a time of the martyrs.

It is a time when we remember the anniversary of the murders of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Each of these martyrs gave their lives for justice. Each stood on their Christian principles and carried the light of God into the darkness.

None were United Methodist, yet they give us an example of what it looks like to live out our baptismal vows to “renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world,” and “resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” They also challenge us to think about how we live out those vows, and how much we are willing to pay for our faith.

It is easy to lift them up on a pedestal, to make them into superhumans. They weren’t. They were sinners in needs of grace just like the rest of us. However, when faced with circumstances that forced Christians to choose between denying God’s kingdom or picking up their cross, they kept up the faith. They didn’t do this because they were fearless or naive about the risk. They did it despite knowing the reaction from the powers was likely to be bloody. They let the Spirit guide them through the fear and lead them to what had to be done.

Most of us won’t face the kind of choices they did. However, we are faced continuously to decide between comfortable living and abundant life.

As I stood watching the speakers at the A.C.T. Now: Unite to End Racism rally April 4, I felt myself pondering my place in anti-racism work. It is easy for me to stay within comfortable lines, to step into the role of the white moderate, to decry segregation and racist violence while shying away from calls to address the deep foundations of structural racism in our society. To do more risks arguments and even consequences in strained relationships at work, with friends and even in my family.

I find my mind returning to the words of James Cone when asked by a white liberal what she could do to fight racism. He replied, “That’s the wrong question. You know what you need to do. The real question is, how much are you willing to pay?”