I became a fan Dietrich Bonhoeffer while taking a class focused on him in seminary. One of my own, personal ways of evangelizing used to be writing Christian messages on the back window of my car (I have had three, but right now I want to focus the second message: “Christianity is not a ‘Religion’!” I liked this message because it was my way of challenging people, both Christians and not, to look at Christianity, not as something we do in order to inherit eternal life (other than repent, accept, and follow Jesus), but as something that Christ has already done so that by accepting Him, we may.
The Cost of Moral Leadership
In his book “The Cost of Moral Leadership” (link is to the lowest price I could find), Dietrich Bonhoeffer stresses the importance of focusing on the realization of who Jesus is, versus how things should be done. As the Apostle Paul mentioned in his first letter to the Corinthians, his message was purely, “Christ crucified.” If he’d doctored it up, or gone into theological and philosophical debates, like the Gentiles of that time, or performed excellent miracles, which were preferred by the Jews then, then Paul would risk killing the message of the cross. In fact, all throughout the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul explains that it’s not so difficult a message, but because it’s so easy, many see it as foolishness. And so in his book, Bonhoeffer is calling out for such recognition in the Gospel, while also hoping for a change in the way things are done in the church when it comes to finding Jesus in our lives today.
Looking at Jesus Differently
In his Advent sermon (late 1920, early 1930s), Bonhoeffer introduced Christ by asking the people to imagine Him as a homeless, dirty, smelly beggar with ripped clothing, actually knocking at their doors, asking to come in. Being mostly lawyers in the crowd, this was a new idea to them. Bonhoeffer challenged people to look at Jesus and Christianity in a different light by reminding them of how Jesus made a point to step out of society’s norms in order to reach out to the lost, even though it meant stepping on the toes of the religious leaders. He saw “religion” as too human, flawed, and prone to sin. Instead, he called his listeners to reach out to the social outcasts, and stressed the necessity of caring for them as if they were Christ Himself.
The Church’s Responsibility
Bonhoeffer believed it was the responsibility of the church to aid in the lives of the outcasts, and obligated to overrule the decision of the state, as ones who answer to a higher authority. In his time, the Jews were the outcasts, and they were being persecuted and killed by the state (Germany). We still have social outcasts today who are being pushed out by the state…the situation has not changed much. I don’t believe that Bonhoeffer’s message and call for action has seized, but still rings out.
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