On Dietrich Bonhoeffer, community, and the inclusion of gays in the church.

I participated in the survey sent out regarding my church's congregational conversation series about showing hospitality to LGBTQ neighbors and congregants. However, it was only after I closed the survey window that I began to read Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together. In just finishing the first chapter, "Community," truths surrounding my own thoughts, words and actions have already been illuminated. Additional to my own re-exploration of what "All Are Welcome" really means to me and to my vision for this church, I have also found several passages to be possibly insightful to the steering committee, while it formulates the next steps to be taken. Allow me to share some of these passages with you, my people. All this being said, I do not pretend to be a Bonhoeffer scholar, nor do I intend to make myself out to be any wiser than a recent grad who has a lot on her mind. Finally, you will notice that I insert gender-inclusive language into Bonhoeffer's writing ... this is purely instinctual.

Bonhoeffer makes it ever so clear that "the fellowship of Christian [sisters and brothers] is a gift of grace," that Christian community "is a gift of God which we cannot claim." This language is reminiscent of our church's communion liturgy, in which we are invited to approach the table with literal open hands to receive the bread, as the grace that is the sacrament is not ours for the taking but God's for the giving. I imagine each of us, in all of who we are, approaching the table with open arms to receive not only the bread and the cup, but also each other. This is to be celebrated, just as the sacrament is celebrated! Let us celebrate the gift of grace that is our community, in which we may only participate (rather than make any claim upon).

In this spirit, Bonhoeffer continues to remark that "Christian [sister- and brotherhood] is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate" (emphasis added). That is to say, no amount of committee meetings, congregational conversations, theologizing, interpreting of Scripture, or anything else for that matter, holds any stake in the reality of Christian community which has already been realized by our Lord. According to Bonhoeffer, at the end of the day there is no need for a visioning team, as our community is not an ideal which we must come to an understanding of. Along this vein, I recommit my own trust in the God Almighty that his reality he has already created at our church may continue to flourish accordingly. As humbly as I can, I encourage each of you, me people, to do the same: to trust in God's reality of community, which has already been created, is being created, and will be created.

I will share with you a passage I have found particularly challenging to internalize. Bonhoeffer writes, "[she] who loves [her] dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though [her] personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial." I believe I have made my personal intentions very clear over the past many months of conversation. And I have believed them to be honest, earnest and sacrificial. However, I am also realizing that I may have been caught up in a love for my version of the future of the church, rather than the community the church is. Suffice it to say that I am working through this on a personal level. Together, we must be aware of this very real possibility of love for our ideals, and remind each other of what our sights should truly be set on: the Christian community itself, rather than our dreams for it. And this is because the Christian community is already a reality created by God (as I previously quoted and mentioned).

Much later in the same chapter of Life Together, Bonhoeffer spells out quite clearly the differences between human love and spiritual love, the latter being that which is mediated only by, in and through Christ, in Christian community. "Spiritual love," he writes, "recognizes the true image of the other person which [they have] received from Jesus Christ; the image that Jesus Christ himself embodied and would stamp upon all [people]." As humans who daily accept Christ to be our Lord and Saviour, we are image-bearers of the Christ incarnate. We are therefore called to recognize this image in one another. First, I believe, in order to give glory to God. For who could not help but shout praises at the recognition of the beautiful tapestry that is the image of God? Second, I believe, this is to fully love one another. When we are able to fully accept each other as divine image-bearers, that is when true "spiritual" love is offered and received. This second reason may be put into the context of accepting LGBTQ individuals for who they are, made in God's image. For me, it is accepting those who may not be entirely affirming of my identity as equal divine image-bearers, and therefore reason to glorify God.

Please accept these words with many grains of salt, as I am not as educated as I would like to be with regards to all matters of study, including theology, Bonhoeffer, Bonhoeffer's theology .... I could go on. I write perhaps for my sake, but am hopeful that these passages from Life Together are helpful to you as well. Above all, know that I am doing my humanly best to recognize the divine image each of you bears, and that I am thankful for the ways in which each of you bear that image.


Peace to you in this redeeming process.