A Former Pacifist:
I was somehow surprised to read that Dietrich Bonhoeffer himself was initially a pacifist. Pacifism, in this context, refers to refusing to take action against clear, systemic evil. This often happens under the guise of piety. Sometimes it occurs by focusing only on personal salvation. Thus, pacifism is a direct failure to follow the obedient belief Messiah demonstrated. Nonethlesd, Bonhoeffer didn’t remain a pacifist for long, he eventually realized the danger of his position. This shift was prompted by the rise of the Nazis. For Bonhoeffer, and for the historical lessons of the 20th century, indifference was not simply a neutral position. Silence was not an alternative choice, it is rather an active failure of discipleship. Bonhoeffer saw this as a retreat from God’s full command, and this failure allowed evil to flourish.
Denying the Incarnation:
He went even further; Bonhoeffer would argue that indifference is a denial of the Incarnation of Yeshua. If a Christian is truly believing. They believe in a G-d who was not indifferent to human suffering. G-d entered into human suffering through the Incarnation and bore the cost of injustice with the Cross. Thus, an obedient believer can’t stand apart from the suffering of the world. To be indifferent to injustice, antisemitism, or the plight of one’s neighbor is to act as if Messiah’s life and death were irrelevant.
Bonhoeffer eventually rejected a purely pacifist position after witnessing the catastrophic rise of Hitler. He came to believe that in the face of a predatory regime, the Christian’s duty shifted from preserving personal purity to protecting the victims and actively thwarting the wolf.
His actions in joining the resistance showed his conviction. He believed that obedience sometimes requires political engagement. It even demands direct intervention to halt massive wrongdoing. In his view, to be passive in the face of mass murder was itself a profound moral sin.
History’s Verdict:
History validates Bonhoeffer’s concern. The greatest danger to justice is rarely the power of the aggressor. It is often the silence and inaction of the bystanders.
Passivity refuses to take necessary, costly action; allows the “wolf” to operate unchallenged. Failure of Obedience: It prioritizes self-preservation over the costly call of Christ. Indifference refuses to acknowledge suffering of the Jews. It ignores the plight of Nigerian Christians [to use another a contemporary example]. It claims, “it’s not my problem.” But more importantly it denies the love and justice central to the Gospel.
The failure of much of the German church was not active participation in the Nazi party, but indifference. They simply continued their normal religious lives, seeing the persecution of the Jewish community as an external, secular problem. Bonhoeffer, on the other hand, insisted that true faith demolishes the barrier between the spiritual life. It destroys the barrier of ethical responsibility in the world. This is why, for Bonhoeffer, being a “real Christian” involves moving beyond contemplation. It requires taking costly action in defense of the persecuted. This is the same for true believers today. We should not be silent about the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria and the Middle East. We should not be indifferent. The demonic hate of antisemitism infiltrates our schools, media, and churches. It does so in the name of pro-Palestinian nationalism. To do so, we are actively disobeying the true G-d.
Out of Egypt 