Bonhoeffer

A few days ago I finished reading Bonhoeffer. To say that it was impacting would be a great understatement. It was challenging, fascinating, and exactly what I needed to read.

I would recommend it to anyone, but would advise that it's not for the faint-hearted or "occasional reader". It's definitely not a book you can just pick up for some light reading. You really have to be committed to working your way through it. I loved it and would love to discuss it with anyone else who has finished it!

Below are some of my favorite quotes/passages from the book:

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

"In New York they preach about virtually everything; only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, sin, forgiveness, death, and life." - Bonhoeffer's take on American churches in 1930-1931 ... Does this sound anything like today? Scary.

"If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction."

"I fear that Christians who venture to stand on earth on only one leg will stand in heaven on only one leg too."

"He had hardly finished his last prayer when the door opened and two evil-looking men in civilian clothes came in and said: 'Prisoner Bonhoeffer. Get ready to come with us.' Those words 'Come with us'- for all prisoners they had come to mean one thing only- the scaffold. We bade him goodbye- he drew me aside- 'This is the end,' he said. 'For me the beginning of life.'

-A fellow prisoner's account of the last time he saw Bonhoeffer, just before his death

And in case you need any more incentive to learn more about this amazing man and his story, here's a very short video previewing the book: