Thursday, April 9, 2009

Costly discipleship remembered

Today is the 64th anniversary of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's final act of costly discipleship. In a week when the cover of Newsweek magazine announces the fall of "Christian America" Bonhoeffer provides an example of what it looks like to live Christianly in the kingdom of man, how to be in the world but not of the world. Bonhoeffer's costly discipleship led him to a hangman's noose at the age of 39. Our costly discipleship might not mean dying for the faith, but it will certainly mean dying in the faith. James tells us the crown of life is reserved for the man "who remains steadfast under trial." Coasting is not an option.

Last spring I did a series based on Bonhoeffer's Letters and Papers from Prison. Here are the links in chronological order:


Bonhoeffer's Letters

Bonhoeffer on responsibility

Bonhoeffer on making room for "God and the whole world"

On baptism and bombs

Dietrich and Maria

Final witness

No comments: