Last week we celebrated the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian and activist. He lived during the 2nd World War. He was hanged by the SS Black Guards on April 9, 1945, just before the fall of the Nazi government. His crime was plotting the death of Hitler, along with his brother-in-law and others. This act of faith has led many to think of Bonhoeffer as a saint for he was following what he believed to be his responsibility in the face of evil. His faith drove the course of his actions. Faith for him is an act of obedience, and obedience is an act of faith (The Cost of Discipleship, 69). I am reminded of Paul’s understanding of faith when I read Bonhoeffer. This is especially true when I read The Cost of Discipleship and Ethics. Grace does come with our faith, but it can be very costly if we are true of our faith in God and are obedient to that call. Faith, by the fact that it requires obedience to the call of Christ, becomes a verb; it is an action. This, I think, is what Paul was trying to tell his congregations in his letters to Galatia and Rome.
