Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Quotes

A collection of quotes by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a German theologian and pastor who became a prominent figure in the resistance against Nazi Germany. He is best known for his writings, including his influential letters and essays, which explored the relationship between Christianity and the modern world. Bonhoeffer's strong opposition to Hitler's regime led him to actively participate in various plots to overthrow the Nazis. Sadly, he was arrested in 1943 and executed in 1945, just weeks before the end of World War II. His courageous actions and profound theological insights continue to inspire and challenge people around the world.

There is a very real danger of our drifting into an attitude of contempt for humanity. We know quite well that we have no right to do so, and that it would lead us into the most sterile relation to our fellow-men. The following thoughts may keep us from such a temptation. It means that we at once fall into the worst blunders of our opponents. The man who despises another will never be able to make anything of him. Nothing that we despise in the other man is entirely absent from ourselves. Why have we hitherto thought so intemperately about man and his frailty and temptability? We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer. The only profitable relationship to others -- and especially to our weaker brethren -- is one of love, and that means the will to hold fellowship with them. God himself did not despise humanity, but became man for men's sake.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and

Suffering