I have been reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's biography. It is a large but very interesting work. Before starting the book, I could tell you that I had heard quotes by Bonhoeffer but could not quote them back to you nor tell you the title of anything he had written. As I have read almost half of his biography, I don't know that I could name his works yet, but have loved the snippets of his writings that are included in this tome.
Bonhoeffer was a theologian, a pastor (not all theologians are gifted pastors), a teacher, a prophet and ultimately became a spy and part of the assassination attempt on Hitler. As a theologian, he was brilliant but he was accessible and was a people-person. He was a good pastor (although he delivered severe sermons) and was leading small groups from his college days on. I am intrigued by this combination of skills, as many professors are good at research and know their field of study well (are brilliant) but many can not communicate it back in a form that others can learn easily from. Bonhoeffer seemed able to be both an academic and pastoral. He almost always had a group of young people he would meet with to sing, pray and discuss Biblical ideas with and loved pastoring churches as much as he loved debating with other academics. He was so concerned about doing the will of God and worshipping only God that almost immediately out of University, he was at odds with the German Lutheran church, especially once it became the Reich Church.
So here are two of my favorite quotes so far. Bonhoeffer ultimately would be sent to a concentration camp and would be executed there for opposing Hitler and the Nazis. He wrote this in the early 1930's when the German Lutheran Church was being taken over by the National Socialist government by placing people in authority within the church who supported Hitler and the Anti-Jewish ideals.
"Although I am working with all my might for the church opposition, it is perfectly clear to me that this opposition is only a very temporary transition to an opposition of a very different kind, and that very few of those engaged in this preliminary skirmish will be part of the next struggle. And I believe that the whole of Christendom should pray with us that it will be a 'resistance unto death,' and that the people will be found to suffer it...Simply suffering - that is what will be needed then - not parries, blows or thrusts such as may still be possibly or admissible in the preliminary fight, the real struggle that perhaps lies ahead must simply be to suffer faithfully...for some time [the church struggle] hasn't even been about what it appears to be about; the lines have been drawn somewhere else entirely."
Bonhoeffer ended up suffering in a cell in a concentration camp, being faithful till the end.
My favourite short quote from Bonhoeffer right now is:
"If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction."
I see some interesting parallels between what happened in the German church of the early 1900's and what is happening in the Anglican Church of Canada today. It is a slippery slope when we allow our teachers/preachers/authorities to morph theology with "politically correct" views and call it God's ideals; when we do not stand in opposition to those things we know are not of God, but profess them from a Christian pulpit. It started in Germany with the profession of the Aryan Paragraph (negating Jews from practically everything) and ended with the Reich church throwing out the Old Testament and declaring Jesus the "Aryan Messiah". How do we get from Jesus born a Jew to being the Aryan Messiah?
I can't contort my knowledge of God and His Word enough to get there but then again, I can't preach that Jesus was not the Son of God either, which is happening today in churches in Canada. I think it starts with a small slide and gains momentum, after which, we just follow our own course down the slope, because it's easier than trying to scramble back up the muddy hill to get back to the Truth. And because satan works hard at maintaining our sinful desire to be God.
It is interesting that Bonhoeffer started out working to oppose those same things from within the church but quickly started to speak about having to break away from the German Church, starting the Confessing Church, in order to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not the Reich church ideals.
Where are we headed Canada? Why do we not call each other to account when we hear preaching that is lukewarm or in opposition to what the Bible states? I am thankful that God maintains a remnant and that there are faithful followers who know the Word of God and will stand in opposition. Even if that means leaving an institution that was founded on God's Word/principles but now contorts/dismisses the Word of God to preach their own ideals and philosophies.
I do not want to 'suffer unto death' but it may come to that, as I am only willing to declare that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour and will not deny the deity of Christ. I only pray that He upholds me through whatever might come.
Oh that we would learn from history and not be condemned to repeat it over and over again. Lord Jesus come soon!
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