Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Agent Of Grace

Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived a truly extraordinary life, and perfectly exemplifies what it means to be a committed Christian. Among the many roles he held throughout his sorted life, Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, and his lifestyle and teachings lead him to come under great duress, which is to say the scrutiny of the Nazi party, in the early 1940s. Though Bonhoeffer’s story is from the early 1940s, his struggles do provide an extreme example of the difficulties of being a disciple of Jesus Christ in modern times, and serve as a case study for how any Christian should act when placed in such difficult situations. While moments like a Baptism are seminal moments in a Christian’s life, it is only when faced with a test of faith do Christians get
An example of this can be seen in one of the more poignant moments in the film Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace. Towards the end of the film, while Bonhoeffer is incarcerated in Nazi prison, Bonhoeffer communicates with a distraught man one cell over who knows he is likely to be executed in the near future. Bonhoeffer consoles the man, and prays with him through cell walls, despite the man stating his atheism to Bonheoffer. While the man is later executed, the Nazi officer does inform Bonhoeffer that the now executed man was one of the more peaceful prisoners the guards had ever reported killing . In this simple act, we see the effect Bonhoeffer had on others, and see the value committed Christians can find in their community. Even though Bonhoeffer did not know the man, or have any tangible connection to him, through his teachings and faith, Bonhoeffer was able to offer the man comfort and solace despite the precarious situation the man was in. Bonhoeffer viewed the man as just another of God’s creations, and correctly assumed that he was as deserving of peace as any other human. Additionally, by reaching out to a fellow human, even one who did not profess faith in Jesus Christ, Bonhoeffer was able to offer the comfort and spirit of God and Christ to a human in desperate need of such comforts. Bonhoeffer. This was no small theme in Bonhoeffer’s life, with his brother in law writing that, “what marked [Bonhoeffer] most was his unselfishness and preparedness to help others up to the point of self sacrifice.” If a disciple of Jesus Christ sees someone else in need, they should willingly and without hesitation help them in any way they can, regardless of their connection to that person. We humans are made in God’s image, and should be treated, as a whole, as the visual embodiment of God himself. Given