There is so much darkness in the world today that it is very hard to find the tiniest light among the darkness. The tiniest light in WWII Germany was Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s. I do not know how he found the courage and faith to stand up for others, to fight the darkness of the Nazi regime, to go beyond himself, to question what was happening and to act to correct it, and to bravely answer God’s calling to sacrifice his life for a better world. He did not fully understand the brutality of Hitler’s extermination program of the Jews until he visited the United States and witnessed how many Americans treated Black Americans. It is said that Hitler studied the Jim Crow laws of the South to enhance his brutality of the Jews. Dietrich knew that “silence in the face of evil is evil itself;” realizing this, he understood his obligation to make things right at home.
He realized that once a government weaponizes its words, the words create their own paths. People do not hear or believe what is said in church pulpits as much as what they hear as rumors in the streets. The truth is that we must love one another, not put them down, not terrorize or punish them, and certainly not kill them. Dietrich’s theology is still influencing us today; no matter how dark it gets, the light always stands out. Real love means to listen for understanding and to question your own actions to determine if you are loving others or harming them. It is important to realize that salvation costs you nothing, but being a disciple of Jesus Christ costs you everything.
Dietrich, as well as Aristotle, realized that “our memories are the scribes of our souls.” How can we be beautiful and ugly at the same time? The only difference between a tree, a bush, a blade of grass, an insect, or a human being is our ability or the lack thereof to use words. What we do with words determines whether our souls are beautiful or ugly. By giving us free will, God made us distinctly different from all other creatures. We can be either kind or cruel, loving or hateful, compassionate or sadistic. We walk the paths that our souls dictate.
Dietrich walked the path of light, love, faith, and sacrifice. What is a life if we cannot contemplate its ending and use it for the betterment of man? Have you thought about your end and where it will be? Who are you following, Jesus Christ or someone or something else? I have watched several movies about Dietrich’s life, but the darkest scene in every movie was how he walked up the steps of the gallows to his death. As his accusers and some of his fellow inmates watched that walk, Dietrich was smiling as he looked up to the stormy skies, waiting to see a brilliant sun explode from the sky as he said, “This is not my end; it is only the beginning!” The war was over five days later. Think about what Dietrich could have done for the world. He is still the light that burns in all of us for freedom, dignity, strength, equality, perseverance, courage, and faith.
I like to think that my father was the Biblical story teller that formed the foundation of my faith. My mother was all the love a child could ever want and my moral compass even still today. Layered over these two strong foundations is my faith. My bones remind me from time to time of a few regrets, but for the most part, I have had a wonderful life. God has blessed me, and I have few complaints. I have thought about what my ending might be, but I know that only God truly knows that ending. I pray that what I have done here on earth was done with love for others and not just for myself. I have tried to keep my candle lit in the darkness, so that others may find their way to Jesus Christ. Like Dietrich, if God calls me, I am willing to sacrifice so that others may have a better life. Evil will not stand as long as I am alive, and I am standing in the light of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through Him, all things are possible.
Anna Hartt
