We need our brothers and sisters daily to bear witness to the power, the goodness, and the lovingkindess of our Savior.Ĭertainly, anyone who has followed Jesus for any length of time has acutely felt this need. In his wisdom, God has given us the honor and the responsibility of speaking that Word to one another. We depend daily upon the Word of God and the life-giving truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Reflecting on our dependence upon the “alien righteousness” of Christ for our salvation, Bonhoeffer states that “the death and life of the Christian is not determined by his own resources…Help must come from the outside, and it has come and comes daily and anew in the Word of Jesus Christ, bringing redemption, righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.” We should thank them for their witness to that reality.Īs Bonhoeffer puts it, “It is easily forgotten that the fellowship of Christian brethren is a gift of grace, a gift from the Kingdom of God that any day may be taken from us…Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart.” The sick, the imprisoned, those whose jobs require shift work, and especially believers in countries where public worship exposes them to intense persecution – these men and women know all too well that being with one another is not a guarantee, but a gift. In 1 Thessalonians in particular, Paul laments the obstacles preventing him from being with a church that he loves dearly (2:17-18).Įven today, not everyone has the privilege of regularly being in the presence of fellow Christians.

Large public gatherings were not always the norm for New Testament believers, who often met in houses and wrote from prison cells. While separation from our brothers and sisters in Christ may be a new experience for some of us, it is quite familiar to others. “It is not simply to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living among other Christians,” writes Bonhoeffer.

I hope the insights I found there will prove as helpful and encouraging for you as they have been for me.Ĭhristian Community is a gift and is not to be taken for granted. My aim was not so much to find a practical guide, but rather to refresh my vision of our community in Christ as we enter into a season of physical separation. While grappling with what these changes mean for our church, I returned to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic contemplation of Christian fellowship, Life Together. Two weeks ago, I had never even heard of the term “social distancing.” Today, traffic is sparse, shops are shuttered, and “these are my work sweatpants” has become an acceptable phrase.

Dietrich bonhoeffer's life together