Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Wednesday, March 12, 2003
By your endurance you will gain your souls.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
found in his relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, that he
was able to have courage, faith and love for others even when he
was facing his own undeserved death. When you and I face daily
challenges, it is Christ that gives us the energy and the endurance
to go on.
(Luke 21.19
NRSV)
Most of us who have been students of the actions of Christians
in Germany immediately before and during World War II, have been
inspired by the faith and the courage of Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
the great Christian leader who chose to leave a safe teaching
position in America in order to go back to Germany to oppose the
methods of Adolph Hitler. Just before the war ended, Dr.
Bonhoeffer was executed. Before his death while he was suffering
in prison, he wrote notes and smuggled them out. Many of those
notes have survived and have been published. Some of his notes
include a poem titled, "Who am I?" In this poem he shares his
doubts and sufferings. He concludes the poem, "Who am I?" with
these words, "I am yours, O God." (Paraphrase).
Dear God, thank you for giving me Jesus who does give me the energy to do your work. Amen.
