Faith: SOF on Bonhoeffer

I enjoy listening to Krista Tippet's Speaking of Faith via podcast.

I recently heard an episode about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who tried to lead resistance against Hitler but ultimately was hanged by the Nazi for collaborating in a plot to assassinate Hitler.

Moments from the episode that really convicted me:

An excerpt from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together.

"On the ministry of listening: The first service that one owes to others in community consists in listening to them. Just as love for God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God's love for us that He not only gives His Word but also lends us His ear. …Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon be no longer listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and, in the end, there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words."

Also, this exchange between Tippett and Doblmeier (made film about Bonhoeffer's life):

Ms. Tippett: I want to talk about something that is deeply troubling in the story of Bonhoeffer, and it came at me full force again in watching your film, which is these good, noble Germans, like Bonhoeffer and his friends and family, who are risking their lives to assassinate Hitler, and there is one failed attempt after the other. I mean, you know, objectively speaking, you could look at this story and say God was on Hitler's side ... It's very puzzling, because, you know, it could almost make you lose faith. They didn't win. The good guys did not win.

Mr. Doblmeier: But I think the call isn't really the call to win. I think the call is to be faithful. And that's the fundamental difference. I don't think for Bonhoeffer it was about winning. I think for him it was about being faithful.