Sárospataki Füzetek 20. (2016)
2016 / 2. szám - MISCELLANEOUS / SONSTIGES - Rob van Houwelingen: Follow int he Steps of Christ
Follow in the steps of Christ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) From: The Cost of Discipleship (1937) “Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son. And a Christianity of that kind is nothing more or less than the end of discipleship. “Through the call of Jesus men become individuals. Willy-nilly, they are compelled to decide, and that decision can only be made by themselves. It is no choice of their own that makes them individuals: it is Christ who makes them individuals by calling them. Every man is called separately, and must follow alone”. Tr RH Fuller Comment: Faith is something deeper than merely accepting doctrinal statements or the message of forgiveness; it is more even than having trust in God. Because the Son of God became a human being, because he became the Mediator, writes Bonhoeffer, following Christ is a matter of obedience that excludes any kind of individual choice. Bonhoeffer emphasises the role of the individual, because no-one can make a decision of faith for anyone else, especially not when any such decision calls for sacrifice. If necessary, following Christ requires swimming against the tide - also that of German national socialism. In the end everyone is personally responsible before God. 2016-2 Sárospataki Füzetek 20. évfolyam 99
