Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Cheap grace is the mortal enemy of our church.  Our struggle today is for costly grace."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Statues found at Westminster Abby

20th Century Saints

from left to right

Mother Elizabeth of Russia, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Oscar Romero, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Tonight the power went our for several hours here at camp.  It's been snowing like crazy for the past week or so and I think it's lovely.  I made a snowman, shoveled a bit, and have fallen down a lot.  =)  In general I am loving it!

Losing power was an interesting experience however.  Can't flush the toilet, turn on the faucet, cook anything, let alone have any lights.  We lit a bunch of candles and I sat by the window for a long while reading.

I have been reading "Saints and Villains" a fictional account of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and am loving it.  When I begin to learn about a topic I want to understand it from as many sides as possible.  I have been exposed to some of Bonhoeffers theology and have immensely enjoyed it.  I too struggle with the idea of "cheap grace".  The life of a disciple isn't easy and too often I let it be.  I am content to know that God loves me and accept his gift of grace - without to much change on my part.  While grace is a gift freely given to anyone who accepts God - after we are given that grace we are called to a life of discipleship.  Not necessarily perfection (sorry John Wesley - I'm not sure about that one yet) but a life of serving and obeying God's will.  To follow the law, but as Jesus came to teach us, being a disciple is so much more than simply following rules.

Discipleship is about relationships.  It's about having a relationship with our creator.  It's about having relationships with our brothers and sisters.  It's about loving people, respecting people, and caring for people.  Bringing about the kingdom of God here on earth and having the faith that it is not through our works that it will come about.  But it will not come about without our efforts either.  We must love.  Our Lord and our neighbors.  Bonhoeffer knew this and spoke out against the prejudices and racism of his day - in pre WWII Germany and told over and over again it wasn't his battle.  They weren't after him.  But he held strong to his faith and views on social justice.  He believed if a Christian, or the church, doesn't speak out against injustice against anyone; they aren't really following Christ.

One of his close friends and colleagues Pastor Martin Niemoller wrote this poem:


In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up.


Friends, please pray for my path of discipleship - for it is a difficult one for me to take.  I will pray for yours.  May we love everyone we meet and always reach out to the needy, the suffering, the oppressed for they are among us even here and now.  


In peace with love, 
your sister in Christ~Erin