BradTaylor

Bonhoeffer: Chapter 14

This chapter details the start of Bonhoeffer’s ministry to two congregations in London. It is noted that, even though his services were sparsely attended, Bonhoeffer prepared as if he were “preaching to thousands.” It would serve us all well to do our jobs this way!

In this chapter, Metaxas also speaks of Bonhoeffer’s close relationship with two individuals: George Bell and Karl Barth. While Bell would become one of Bonhoeffer’s closest and most trusted friends, Barth and Bonhoeffer had something of a falling out after Barth refused to exclude the Aryan Paragraph, as Bonhoeffer had so vehemently urged him to do. After Bonhoeffer moved to London, he wrote a letter to Barth, to which Barth replied, challenging Bonhoeffer to return to Germany soon, but doing so in a loving, friendly manner.

During his ministry in London, Bonhoeffer began to preach and write even more prophetically than he had before. He turned his focus to eschatological concerns and wrote letter to friends in which he spoke of bravery, of cowardice having to come to an end. His words would ring truer than ever before the war was over.