Life Together

In this brief wisdom-packed treatise, Dietrich Bonhoeffer lays out a Biblical vision of Christian community, then demonstrates the way in which this genuine community ought to manifest itself.

True Christian fellowship, he asserts, is only such by virtue of our union in Christ. "Christian brotherhood is not an ideal, but a divine reality," and this reality is all too often characterized by unfulfilled dreams and disillusionment with all these sinners who surround me, shattering my ideal of life together.

In reality, we are bound to one another by faith, by our common sinfulness, by our brotherhood in Christ, and by the love of the Spirit which springs from Truth, not from our experience with one another.

One of the primary expressions of this unity is in fellowship around the Word, the Psalms and hymns of the Church, and prayer - both daily in the community of the Christian home and weekly in the gathering together on the Lord's Day. Bonhoeffer emphasizes over and over again that true Spirit fellowship will be manifest in each member's humble awareness of his own sinfulness and his need for forgiveness from Christ Himself as well as from his brother. In turn, he will meekly extend that same grace to his brethren. As Shakespeare puts it, "...we do pray for mercy; and that same prayer doth teach us to render the deeds of mercy. (Merchant of Venice)"

As joint members of One Body, we also owe one another the ministries of a listening ear, active helpfulness, and a true bearing with one another's weaknesses, infirmities and burdens. Only in the context of these ministries can we then rightly minister the Word of Truth, spoken in love and supported by our gracious deeds.

"Strong and weak, wise and foolish, gifted or ungifted, pious or impious, the diverse individuals in the community, are no longer incentives for talking and judging and condemning, and thus excuses for self-justification. They are rather cause for rejoicing in one another and serving one another. Each member of the community is given his particular place, but this is no longer the place in which he can most successfully assert himself, but the place where he can best perform his service. Justification by grace, and therefore service, should govern the Christian community. Once a man has experienced the mercy of God in his life, he will henceforth aspire to serve. The proud throne of the judge no longer lures him; he wants to be down below with the lowly and the needy, because that is where God found him."