“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers…” – Psalm 1:1
He was faced with only two options: abandon his ministry and take an oath of allegiance to Hitler, or surely be thrown into prison. But a third option gradually became available to him in June of 1939. At the urging of family, friends and associates, he fled Germany for the United States.
But ultimately, his conscience wouldn’t allow him to stay.
“I have come to the conclusion that I made a mistake in coming to America.… Christians in Germany will have to face the terrible alternative of either willing the defeat of their nation in order that Christian civilization may survive or willing the victory of their nation and thereby destroying civilization. I know which of these alternatives I must choose but I cannot make that choice from security.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer would return to Germany within two years after leaving. His pursuit of spreading the Gospel and standing against the evil being perpetrated by the Nazis would ultimately land him in prison for 18 months. There he would take a page from the Apostle Paul and begin writing journals and letters while imprisoned. With the help of some sympathetic guards, his writings would be smuggled out and beyond the prison walls in which he lived.
“There remains an experience of incomparable value. We have for once learned to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcasts, the suspects, the maltreated — in short, from the perspective of those who suffer. Mere waiting and looking on is not Christian behavior. Christians are called to compassion and to action.” (“Letters from Prison,” p.16)
Bonhoeffer’s loyalty to Christ and compassion for his fellow man ultimately led to his death. At the age of 39 years, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed in April of 1945.
Very few of us today face the degree of testing and trials that Bonhoeffer experienced, but his example is one that should inspire us all. In the face of such overwhelming circumstances, this man refused to conform to the world around him. Instead, he allowed the Holy Spirit to transform his mind, keeping his focus on what God wanted him to do. Even in the face of what would become for him the same outcome for Paul (death), Dietrich Bonhoeffer refused to capitulate to the evils of the world.
Our refusal to conform to this world however must go even deeper than just behavior and customs; it must be firmly planted in the values planted and rooted in our mind. It is possible to avoid most worldly practices and yet still be proud, covetous, self-centered, and arrogant. This is why we need the Holy Spirit to renew, reeducate, and redirect our thoughts so that we can truly be transformed.
Or put another way, to be different.
Today’s To-Do’s:
- List three ways in which you have been negatively influenced this past week.
- Reflect on how they impacted your mood and your attitude.
- Read Romans 12:2 each morning this upcoming week and pray for the Spirit to lead your thoughts and behaviors according to God’s good and pleasing will.
Question for Today:
- How can I set myself apart from the world today to honor God?
Former Blackout Artist 