Unity in a Divided World
What Dietrich Bonhoeffer shows us about gospel unity, radical love, and the power of true Christian community in fractured times.
Division Isn’t New – But It’s Still Dangerous
We live in a time of division, even among God-fearing believers. We are not only divided, we want to be divided. We prefer to spend time with "good" people and "good" Christians, rather than those people or those Christians. This is not a new challenge but it is a mindset directly in opposition to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
80 Years Ago: A Gospel Witness That Cost Everything
80 years ago today (April 9), Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis for his gospel-inspired opposition to their regime. His life exemplified costly obedience. In his classic book "Life Together," Bonhoeffer wrote profoundly on Christian community. First, he quoted Martin Luther:
“The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of God; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing, who would ever have been spared!”
Later, Bonhoeffer himself wrote:
"Not only the other person who is earnest and devout, who comes to me seeking brotherhood, must I deal with in fellowship. My brother is rather that other person who has been redeemed by Christ, delivered from his sin, and called to faith and eternal life. Not what a man is in himself as a Christian, his spirituality and piety, constitutes the basis of our community. What determines our brotherhood is what that man is by reason of Christ. Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us.”
Our Love Speaks Loudest
Jesus said in John 13:35:
“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Notice that Jesus did not say, “[…] if you love other Christians who share your political and social views.” When we only want to be in community with Christians we are aligned with (politically, socially, etc.), when we want to be "not with the bad people but the devout people," when we decide that we cannot be in community with another person because of his or her "spirituality and piety," we are betraying the gospel. If Jesus judged you and me the same way, we would have been found wanting and left out of His family. "Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us" regardless of how we speak, dress, work, or think about hot button issues. Let’s Bear a Different Witness
Division is a part of the world right now (and always). But as Christians, let's reflect Jesus and bear witness to His gospel by being united with other believers, especially those we disagree with. Yes it might be costly (though far less costly for most of us than it was for Bonhoeffer) but when we are united with other Christians who do not think, talk, or vote the same way we do, the message we send to the world is that Jesus is enough to cross every barrier and that His gospel is the most important part of our lives.
Jordan Maroon
President and Executive Director
Needle’s Eye Ministries
