Dietrich Bonhoeffer


As I have studied history, one of the men I have come to admire most was born 115 years ago today in Germany. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born into a prosperous and educated family, and had a brilliant mind - by age 21 he had received a Doctor of Theology degree from Berlin University. He went to the United States for additional studies and a teaching fellowship in New York. He was disappointed in the laxity of American theology, but deeply impressed by African-American spiritualism and the issues of inequality. Returning to Germany, he was ordained a Lutheran minister in 1931 at age 25.
Within days of the Nazi choice of Adolf Hitler as chancellor in 1933, Bonhoeffer began to speak out publicly against the regime and warn of its possible consequences. When many Christian leaders began to make concessions to Nazi demands, including removing church officials with Jewish ancestry, Bonhoeffer objected and soon joined in the formation of a group which defended traditional Christian beliefs and practices. Their movement included underground seminaries, and was banned by the Gestapo in 1937; but Bonhoeffer continued to vocally oppose the Nazis.
Bonhoeffer became a part of the Abwehr, an intelligence organization that sought to overthrow Hitler. He was arrested in 1943 by the Gestapo and imprisoned in the concentration camps. He was executed by hanging in April 1945 at age 39, as the Nazi regime was collapsing less than a month before the end of the war.
Bonhoeffer's best-known theological work is a study on the Sermon on the Mount called "The Cost of Discipleship." I love the distinction he raises between "cheap grace" (often a cover for spiritual laziness) and "costly grace" (which represents true personal sacrifice and devotion).
I #GiveThanks for the courage of a man willing to define his own costly discipleship, to recognize the risks of improper thinking, to speak up boldly for what is right, and ultimately to give his life for his beliefs.
The brilliant biography by Eric Metaxas is highly recommended.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Persistence

Image
  There's a principle of persistence that applies to climbing mountains, but also to many other aspects of life. We all get tired, we "run out of gas," we get frustrated with delays, we despair of reaching our goal, we think the job will never end, we keep waiting for the weather to improve, we become frustrated with "enduring." We give up, and we probably never know if we stopped just short of the point of significant achievement. The most growth often comes at, and after, that point of fatigue. I really appreciate the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was a favorite of Heber J. Grant and is often attributed to him, but he was quoting Emerson when he spoke it. It makes sense that we get more comfortable and competent at anything we persist in doing. Hard things become easier as we become practiced and proficient. On the other hand, there is sometimes wisdom in not "running faster than we are able." Or running longer than we are able! There comes a po...
Read more

"Sing, Choirs of Angels!"

Image
  "Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation; Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!" "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:13-14) The accounts of the birth of Jesus don't actually say that heavenly choirs of angels were singing when they appeared to the shepherds in the fields. It says "saying," not "singing." But most of us can't read the words they shared without hearing in our minds Handel's arrangement from Messiah. And we often associate singing with the most joyful expression of emotion. That is certainly felt at Christmastime. I love Christmas music and look forward to enjoying it each year during the weeks leading to Christmas. Many of our most favorite carols and hymns are so familiar, but yet so powerful. Through the years I've found several lesser-known Christmas songs that ...
Read more

Sensory memories: juicy pear jelly bellies

Image
  My mother was a fascinating woman, with a broad exposure to the world resulting from extensive and frequent travel. She knew all about various cultures, cuisines, and delicacies. In her later years, she had a series of strokes that made it difficult to remember and communicate. Her world shrank dramatically. I don't recall when she developed a liking for "jelly bellies" - those small, flavorful jelly beans. At some point, I started bringing them to her regularly, usually in the bag of multi-flavor assortments. If her supply ran low, she would remind me, "I need more of those - what are they? - bellies." That was all she remembered. So I would bring her more. She quickly developed a favorite, though. She was always delighted to come across the light green ones with dark green spots among the assortment. I had already developed a preference for the "juicy pear" variety myself, so it was interesting that both of us discovered that liking separately! I ...
Read more