Aug 22, 2018

As the world changes drastically with volatile politics, feeble faith, wars raging and economies crumbling, this unstable global climate forces people to reflect upon men and women who prophetically judged the times and took bold action. Such was Dietrich BonhoefferÑa pastor and a spy.

Bonhoeffer was born in 1906 and grew up during the rise of the Third Reich, to a highly distinguished, freethinking and traditional Lutheran family in Berlin. As a teenager, Dietrich decided to become a theologian. His brothers and father were non-religious intellectuals, who scoffed at his aspiration, condemning the church as bankrupt. Then I will reform it! he retorted. Completing his first doctoral thesis at the age of 21 and a second at 24 brought him attention by major theologians of his time.

The significance of Dietrich’s work resulted in him being asked to run one of five illegal seminaries for pastors of the Confessing Church, the true Lutheran church after the mainline church sided with the Nazis. At the time, virtually all of German society sided with Hitler, whether by choice or force.

Dietrich’s parents, not swayed by the charismatic Fuhrer, led several friends and family members, including their pastor son, to conspire against Hitler. Dietrich was recruited to the secret intelligence for the Nazis. Becoming a double agent, he communicated to the English and US governments that a plot to assassinate Hitler was being planned and asked for safety for those involved in the coup. Churchill would only take a full surrender.

In April of 1943 Bonhoeffer was arrested and put in prison for his part in Operation Seven (smuggling seven Jews into Switzerland). In prison he wrote his famous letters, working out his ethics to take part in murder as a pastor and disciple of Jesus. While in prison, he got news that the assassination had failed. Hitler was infuriated, demanding that everyone connected be immediately killed. Three months prior to being rescued by the allies, Bonhoeffer was hung.

Several vital lessons from the books and life of Bonhoeffer arise. First, being a disciple of Jesus costs Christians something. Grace cost heaven everything. Following Jesus should transform a life.

Second, believers need to be in discipling communities to become mature spiritually and to endure trying seasons corporately and individually.

Lastly, while wind shapes the desert sand dunes, the church needs to be like the wind and not the sand in society. This is not Republican or Democrat, but more like an obedient disciple discerning God’s leading via prayer, the Holy Spirit and Scripture. Then some action must be taken. Disciples cannot be bystanders, they must be bold. What will future generations say of the actions or lack of actions of Christians now?

Filip Milosavljevic
QHM Associate Speaker