Reflection to Insight

Several weeks ago my wife and I went to theaters to watch a new movie called Bonhoeffer, which is based on a historical figure who worked as a pastor, spy, and assassin during World War II.

Until I had seen the trailer for this movie, I actually hadn’t previously heard of this man and what he accomplished. Or at least, I didn’t remember hearing of him, but maybe I did and I just forgot.

Either way, this movie was a gem that both educated me on history, and inspired me greatly. I’m very thankful we had the opportunity to see it.

If you haven’t heard about this film, or the historical figure of Bonhoeffer, here’s a synopsis from Angel Studios who produced the film:

“As the world teeters on the brink of annihilation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer is swept into the epicenter of a deadly plot to assassinate Hitler. With his faith and fate at stake, Bonhoeffer must choose between upholding his moral convictions or risking it all to save millions of Jews from genocide. Will his shift from preaching peace to plotting murder alter the course of history or cost him everything?”

As you can see from the synopsis, this film educates us on the real Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a man of faith in Jesus, who stood up against Hitler and his agenda throughout the entirety of WWII.

This was a man empowered by God to be brave and righteous in the face of great injustice and evil. His story is important and inspirational for all of us.

As many of you know, we live in a divisive time, and I think a film like this communicates many beautiful themes that we need in this era.

This movie prompted so many different thoughts, too many for me to detail here. But I’ll run through some of the ones I found very impactful.

A quote by the real Bonhoeffer that is said in the movie is this:

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The first theme I’ll cover is on the first part of this quote. Speaking up for what is right when evil rears its head.

As someone who struggles with people pleasing and not enjoying conflict, this is something that resonates within me. Throughout my life, I’ve had moments when I should have spoken up, but did not. And I’ve had some moments when I should have spoken, and I did.

Saying what is true and righteous isn’t always going to be easy. Not everyone will like the message, and often you won’t be seen as popular. You may even be hated.

But if evil begins to arise and we stand by, not communicating truth to combat it, we’re basically allowing it to go unchecked. Which in turn will open the door for great misery and destruction.

If we have the courage to share with others the righteous way, we can start to be a change for the better.

Thankfully, we don’t have to find this courage solely within ourselves.

Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

I’ve often been afraid that if I say something that a superior or friend does not like, I may lose their respect. If they have some sort of influence in my life, things might be harder. If we hold an intimate friendship, I might lose that connection.

But the Lord has shown me that in the end, it’s worth putting my reputation on the line to say or do what is right, even if I do lose or suffer in some way.

We don’t need the approval of man when we have the love of our Savior and King Jesus.

Jesus loves you, and no matter who loves or hates you, it is His care and attention that will fulfill you.

God used this movie to remind me of that.

Bonhoeffer has several points in the film where he says something that isn’t popular. We get to witness the reaction of his close family, friends, and coworkers.

Some of them respect, admire, and follow after him. But others despise what he does. They want him to keep his mouth shut and fall in line.

Though it hurts for those near him to respond in a negative way, this doesn’t stop him from speaking up.

His love for Jesus is so great that he refuses to abandon what is right. He refuses to let the Lord be disrespected as the Nazi regime expands and gains influence even within the church.

That level of commitment and love for the Lord is something I hope and pray for within my own life.

The second part of the quote focuses on action.

During the film, Bonhoeffer begins to realize that while his words have left a mark, there’s still a lot more to be done.

As you see from the synopsis, or you may know from history, Bonhoeffer helps plot an assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler.

We all know that tremendous levels of horror exist in our world, and men are capable of some terrible things.

I feel that there is a time when fighting back is necessary. And violence may even be needed depending on the threat. However, Jesus also tells us to turn the other cheek. He calls us to love our enemies and pray for them.

Matthew 5:39 – “But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Matthew 5:44 – “Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you.”

As we study scripture, it may seem that Jesus wouldn’t want us to fight when someone wrongs us. We are called to love and forgive those who do such things.

This point is brought up in the film, when one of Bonhoeffer’s friends asks, “Would the Lord forgive us if we were to do such a thing?” (Referring to the assassination plot).

Bonhoeffer replies by asking, “Will he forgive us if we don’t?”

I love this back and forth exchange so much, because you can see that Bonhoeffer wrestles with the weight of killing a man. Even when that man is sadistic and cruel.

But he also can’t ignore that Hitler is murdering and persecuting the jews. He’s gone beyond just trying to get control of the church and rewrite the scripture, which in and of itself was already wicked.

But now he’s killing people and putting them in concentration camps.

Bonhoeffer decides that if action is not taken, it’s evil.

Though this is something I am still trying to seek the Lord on, my current conviction is the same as Bonhoeffer’s.

In some situations, in order to defend others as well as yourself and neutralize a threat, it may require varying levels of violent or even lethal force.

You may disagree with me on this, and that’s completely okay. I would love to have a discussion with you on this and hear your thoughts.

I am still learning, and as Jesus continues to reveal things to me, my mind could change over time. This is just the current conviction I have based on the knowledge I currently hold.

I have some further thoughts that I would like to make in a future post regarding violence and how Christians should respond to it. So stay on the look out for that!

But not all action requires violence. Not all of us are going to get wrapped up in an assassination plot hopefully.

Other forms of action include advocating for someone who can’t advocate for themselves. It could include acts of service to care for those in need. Completing a job or task for a person, or being generous with time or resources.

Really, the type of action needed depends on the situation we are presented with.

But I guess my suggestion would be to trust the Lord, and follow what He calls you to do. The important thing is that we do act, and we don’t let evil and injustice go unchecked. We don’t let someone in need continue to suffer if we can do something about it.

Now, similar to what I said with speaking up, which is a form of taking action too, when we move towards action, we can expect that hardship will come.

We see in one part of the film, Bonhoeffer sits in prison, looking up at the ceiling and crying out the words eternity.

He asks God to deliver him from the trial he is facing, and in that moment, he longs to be with the Lord and away from the misery he is having to endure.

When we stand up for what is right, it does please the Lord greatly. And I believe that He rewards us both on this side of earth and in Heaven, because He is a good and loving God.

But we must be aware of the trials that will come when we stand against evil.

Satan hates it when people mess with his plans as they follow the directive of the Lord. Though he is limited in what he can do, spiritual attacks get launched our way as we fight for the Kingdom of God in this spiritual war.

We shouldn’t be afraid of this though. If anything, though it is hard to suffer when we do the right thing, we should wear it as a badge of honor. Knowing that Jesus is extremely proud of us for following after Him.

Matthew 5:10-12: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Another thing I want to encourage you with is that we are not alone in any suffering that we face.

Jesus is always right there with us, ready to comfort us.

When we are in a time of weakness, that is where God shows up in great power and deliverance.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “But He said to me, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

All in all, Bonhoeffer was a phenomenal movie.

The music throughout the movie really set the tone and fit the atmosphere perfectly. Each placement of the sound track helped evoke the right emotions we were meant to feel at all the right moments.

The actors did phenomenal in each of their respective roles. You could sense that they really had a passion for the material and they gave it their all.

I believe God has and will continue to use this film for His glory. Empowering people to be courageous for His name’s sake.

My wife Alexis and I were feeling pretty pumped up during and after the movie. This is the type of film that gets your heart racing for Jesus and the mission He has given to us as His followers.

If you have the time I would highly recommend watching this film. It’ll be educational on both a faith and historical front, and you won’t be able to help the reflection on God, life, and self that will follow after.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, bye for now!