Even though there was no secret how his story would end, I still cried at the end of Eric Metaxas’s book, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.
While this book is a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in that it follows his life, it is also a history of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. It is important to remember that the Holocaust was not the beginning, but the end result. There were many steps taken that ultimately ended in the Holocaust, and learning about those steps was sobering as I compared them to things happening in our modern society.
Bonhoeffer was not Jewish. He was from a well-known and respected family. He was an upstanding member of society. And he had the opportunity to stay in America for the duration of the war. He could easily have ridden out the war with little danger. He could have sat on the sidelines. Instead, Bonhoeffer knew that his service to God meant he had to get involved, protect the innocent, and defeat the enemy.
Within the account, Metaxas includes original writings from, to, and about Bonhoeffer. He includes journal entries that give us a glimpse into Bonhoeffer’s thoughts. And he shares the words of those who knew Bonhoeffer best, including those who shared his cell and his fate.
Throughout the book, we see Bonhoeffer recognize evil in many forms. He doesn’t just see the evil of innocent people harmed, but he recognizes the false gospel that was prevalent in the church, and he saw the oppression and division caused by racism in America at the time. He recognized the failing of social justice, and he showed how once good leaders became weak.
Not only is this book a biography and a history lesson, but it is a commentary on our world today. It is a road map for our destination if we do not correct course and do it quickly. This book reinforces the theme I repeat to myself: Live not by lies! Uphold truth at all costs! Without truth as our plumb line, we will be tossed to and fro in the storms of this fallen world.
0 Comments