In June, I spent a week with other First Baptist folks in Berlin learning about the life and theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer is well known as a theologian who resisted Hitler and the Nazi regime, ultimately giving his life for that resistance. I have long admired his moral clarity and courage, but being in Berlin gave me a much deeper appreciation for the people and places that shaped him.
Our class met in the Bonhoeffer family home and we visited many of the sites connected to his life, the rise of Nazism, and the German resistance. One detail especially stayed with me: the Bonhoeffer family lost two sons and two sons-in-law because of their involvement in resisting Hitler. Their courage was not the courage of one extraordinary individual. It was the courage of a family!
I also came to see that Bonhoeffer’s bravery was sustained by a larger community. He stood alongside the pastors and churches of the Confessing Church, a movement that refused to allow the Nazi regime to control the church’s message or dictate who could be part of the church. Hundreds of pastors were arrested, many were imprisoned and some were intentionally sent to the front lines of the war. They lost their lives because they would not compromise the gospel.
One of the gifts of this trip was realizing that Bonhoeffer was never a lone hero. His courage was nurtured by faithful family members, trusted friends, and a community of believers who encouraged one another to do what was right, even at great personal cost.
We often celebrate the image of the lone hero who stands against the world. But more often than not, courage is formed in community.
Carol McEntyre, Senior Minister