Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2 (NRSVUE)
Today we commemorate German Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who died 79 years ago today at the age of 39. While Bonhoeffer wrote several notable books on theology, he is best known for being executed for his involvement with a plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler. His Letters and Papers from Prison, published posthumously in 1951, is perhaps the most enduring and profound collection of his thought. His best known concept is that of “cheap grace” versus “costly grace.” That is, while grace is free it is also something so radical that it transforms our lives, costing us greatly in its call to give up what we formerly thought was important in life for the sake of living out God’s call of radical love. He criticized those who held to a “cheap grace” of talking about forgiveness of sin without any change in lifestyle because of it.
Prior to his imprisonment, he was a leading figure in the Confessing Church movement. While the official Protestant church bodies in Germany supported Nazi leadership, the Confessing Church was a movement to resist Nazi attempts to use the churches to promote their propaganda and political agenda. He was a near-pacifist who eventually came to feel that the threat posed by Hitler was so great that it necessitated lending logistical support to the “July Plot” attempt to assassinate Hitler.
There are several movies and many biographies of Bonhoeffer. It is very much worth your time to learn more about him, his life, his faith, and what it entails to give your life to God.