I’ve just finished reading the collection Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I’ve been going through this book slowly, reading only a couple of letters or documents a day. Being aware of what was to happen to him, I found the last few pages intensely moving and I’d like to share some of it with you. For me, somebody like Bonhoeffer embodies all that is good about humanity. The virtues that he displays in these letters are inspirational. He never self-pities, he hardly complains about anything, and he is constantly looking to encourage the people to whom he is writing. I want to share three parts in particular.1
To Eberhard Bethge, 10 August [1944]
…I can understand your no longer finding your memories ‘nourishing’. But the strength of thankfulness continually gives strength to memories. It is in just such times that we should make an effort to remember in our prayers how much we have to be thankful for. Above all, we should foster that calmness that comes from great t…
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