Column: Remembering a man who was an inspiring example of Christian faith

But there is another day in 1945 which is also worth honouring (though not celebrating): the day of the death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

That may be a name that is not widely known now, but for anyone interested in the connection between Christian faith and political commitment, his life is well worth exploring.

Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian dedicated to ‘the gospel of social justice’, who in 1935 helped found ‘the Confessing Church’, which was opposed to the growing influence of the Nazi party on Christian worship.

He strongly believed that no spiritual movement had any justification unless it was dedicated to thewelfare of all people, whatever race and whatever status the may have.

By 1938, he was in constant contact with the leaders of the resistance movement and he was working for the secret service. He denounced the increasing oppression of the Jewish population of Germany, and he also dedicated a lot of his energy to helping Jews escape Nazi persecution.

As a theologian, Bonhoeffer was not interested in mystical musings or theological hair-splitting. Instead, he explored the idea of a ‘religionless Christianity’. This involved a focus on the humanity of Jesus, on his identification with the poor and oppressed, and on his commitment to a new kind of community.

Along with those, Bonhoeffer emphasised not only Jesus’s healing powers but also his own capacity for suffering – as on the cross.

Bonhoeffer’s written work is full of radical pronouncements. For example: ‘Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.’ Or again: ‘We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice: we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.’

Bonhoeffer’s commitment to social justice was strong enough for him to condone the planning of a plot to assassinate Hitler. True, he was not the one who planted the bomb, but it was a remarkable stance for a pastor to adopt.

Eventually his resistance work was discovered, and in 1943 he was arrested and imprisoned.

Later, he was transferred to Flossenbürg concentration camp, where on April 9, 1945 he underwent death by hanging. Ironically, it was only a month before Hitler admitted defeat.

Bonhoeffer stands as an inspiring example of Christian faith leading to political commitment. Were he alive today, he would no doubt be campaigning against all abuses of power across the globe, including that of Israel.