I remember reading The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in college. It was a fascinating read that opened my eyes to the different ways that we “cheapen” grace by claiming Christ without actually truly following him. That particular book gave an overview of Bonhoeffer’s life and showed how he lived out his faith through standing up for Jews in the middle of the Nazi regime, but it proved to be only a small taste.
I recently read Eric Metaxes’ biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and it opened my eyes to how deeply he followed Jesus in every area of his life, despite the consequences. During the years that led up to World War II, Bonhoeffer was one of the few that saw the Nazi regime for what it truly was. Germany had suffered greatly from the defeat of World War I and the consequences it faced as a result. As Hitler rose to power, he leveraged the people’s pride as Germans to accomplish his own motives. When the Nazi government took over the national German church, most leaders just fell in line. Even when the Nazi leaders revealed their anti-semitism, most of the church’s leaders remained silent, but not Bonhoeffer. Not only did Dietrich understand the gospel, he knew that based on the claim that Christ had on his life there was no other option than to oppose Hitler with every fiber of his being. As so many of his brothers failed to take a stand and wanted to fight Hitler from the inside, Dietrich stood alone with his convictions as he uttered one of the most memorable lines of the book: “If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.”
This biography is certainly intriguing as you get to read and experience the “spy story” of Bonhoeffer trying to overthrow the Hitler regime, but it is also compelling because you get to see a man live out his faith in an incredibly difficult situation, one which we know will ultimately lead to his death. He was a pastor and theologian, and actually ran multiple “underground” seminaries because he wanted to equip the leaders of the church, especially to combat the Nazis. He never hesitated to leverage his influence for the sake of the gospel. Most of his closest friends even encouraged him to stay in America while the war raged on in Germany, but Bonhoeffer opposed the appeals for safety because he carried the burdens of what was at stake for the church and how the Jews were being persecuted. He returned to Germany so that he could oppose the Nazis from the front lines, soon after which he was arrested and imprisoned. His character continued to show in prison as he deprived himself of special privileges because he knew that they would come at a cost to other inmates. This man was a true example of what a Christ follower looks like. His hope in Christ was clear, and even just before his execution, one of the guards was quoted as saying: “I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer kneeling on the floor, praying fervently to God…so certain that God heard his prayer…I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”
Now that I have read this biography, I understand more of what “The Cost of Discipleship” is about. It is so clear that to follow Christ in our broken world will require us to die. It seems like often times these are deaths of selfishness and pride, but we must allow the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer to resonate in our soul and be willing to truly lay down our life for the sake of the gospel just like he did. May we find courage through his life, and may we follow Christ no matter what the cost.
-Daniel Moore, Middle School Pastor
-Daniel Moore, Middle School Pastor