I remembered studying him in college. I remember watching a movie about his life. I remember skimming through “Cost of Discipleship“. Since then, Dietrich’s presence has been an overall knowledge of his life, and a few short readings and quotes that have been inspirationally included in other readings.
A year ago, I checked out a condensed version of “Letters from Prison” from the library. It was a small book, and easy to read small sections at a time. That began what I would confess as my first true desire to learn more/read more about this man. But life became busy. My desire to revisit the life of Bonhoeffer faded.
Until recently I was searching for a good book, offering substance to chew on along with a good story to swallow. I’d been seeing Bonhoeffer in the sidelines lately, reading some of Hauerwas and Yoder, and so I looked for a fictional biography of his life. I posted a blog not long after beginning it, impressed even early in the story.
I have to say, I’ve been even more impressed by his life, writing and desires for Christ/His Church. Especially his attention to the Sermon on the Mount lately. So much so, that I’ve set a goal for myself in 2010. I am going to read through the entire Biography (non-fiction) written by Bonhoeffer’s close student and friend, Eberhard Bethge. Most resources I’ve found point to it as the definitive work/collection in it’s most recent, revised form. It’s almost 1,000 pages long, so it will definitely be an undertaking for me. Which is why I’m giving myself the entire year. No doubt readers of my blog, if I stick with this, will become a bit sick of my references to him. But my hopes are that God will bless the time spent in these areas of contemplation and prayer.
words from wick 