Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than they love the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest and sacrificial. God hates this wishful dreaming because it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. Those who dream of this idolized community demand that it be fulfilled by God, by others and by themselves. They enter the community of Christians with their demands set up by their own law, and judge one another and God accordingly. It is not we who build. Christ builds the church. Whoever is mindful to build the church is surely well on the way to destroying it, for he will build a temple to idols without wishing or knowing it. We must confess he builds. We must proclaim, he builds. We must pray to him, and he will build. We do not know his plan. We cannot see whether he is building or pulling down. It may be that the times which by human standards are the times of collapse are for him the great times of construction. It may be that the times which from a human point are great times for the church are times when it's pulled down. It is a great comfort which Jesus gives to his church. You confess, preach, bear witness to me, and I alone will build where it pleases me. Do not meddle in what is not your providence. Do what is given to you, and do it well, and you will have done enough... Live together in the forgiveness of your sins. Forgive each other every day from the bottom of your hearts."
59 Quotes
"Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than they love the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest and sacrificial. God hates this wishful dreaming because it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. Those who dream of this idolized community demand that it be fulfilled by God, by others and by themselves. They enter the community of Christians with their demands set up by their own law, and judge one another and God accordingly. It is not we who build. Christ builds the church. Whoever is mindful to build the church is surely well on the way to destroying it, for he will build a temple to idols without wishing or knowing it. We must confess he builds. We must proclaim, he builds. We must pray to him, and he will build. We do not know his plan. We cannot see whether he is building or pulling down. It may be that the times which by human standards are the times of collapse are for him the great times of construction. It may be that the times which from a human point are great times for the church are times when it's pulled down. It is a great comfort which Jesus gives to his church. You confess, preach, bear witness to me, and I alone will build where it pleases me. Do not meddle in what is not your providence. Do what is given to you, and do it well, and you will have done enough... Live together in the forgiveness of your sins. Forgive each other every day from the bottom of your hearts."
"إن الذين يعشقون تصورهم المثالي لمجتمع مسيحي أكثر مما يحبون المجتمع المسيحي ذاته، يغدون مدمرين لذلك المجتمع، حتى لو كانت نواياهم الشخصية صادقة ومخلصة وتضحوية إلى أبعد حد. يكره الله هذه التمنيات الواهية لأنها تجعل الحالم متكبراً ومدعياً. فالذين يحلمون بهذا المجتمع المؤلّه يطالبون بتحقيقه من الله، ومن الآخرين، ومن أنفسهم. يدخلون جماعة المسيحيين بمطالبهم التي وضعوها بقانونهم الخاص، ويحكمون على بعضهم البعض وعلى الله بناءً عليه.
لسنا نحن من يبني. المسيح هو الذي يبني الكنيسة. ومن يظن أنه يبني الكنيسة فإنه حتماً في طريقه إلى تدميرها، لأنه سيبني هيكلاً للأوثان دون أن يرغب أو يعلم. يجب أن نقرّ بأنه هو الذي يبني. يجب أن نعلن، هو يبني. يجب أن نصلي إليه، وهو سيبني.
لا نعرف خطته. لا يمكننا أن نرى ما إذا كان يبني أم يهدم. قد تكون الأوقات التي تُعدّ بمقاييس البشر أوقات انهيار، هي بالنسبة له أوقات بناء عظيمة. وقد تكون الأوقات التي تبدو من منظور بشري أوقاتاً عظيمة للكنيسة، هي أوقات هدمها.
إنه عزاء عظيم يمنحه يسوع لكنيسته: "اعترفوا بي، بشروا بي، اشهدوا لي، وأنا وحدي سأبني حيثما يشاء لي. لا تتدخلوا فيما ليس من تدبيركم. افعلوا ما أُعطي لكم، وأحسنوا فعله، وستكونون قد فعلتم ما يكفي."
عيشوا معاً في غفران خطاياكم. سامحوا بعضكم البعض كل يوم من أعماق قلوبكم."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children."
"إن المحك الأسمى لمجتمع أخلاقي هو نوع العالم الذي يورثه لأبنائه."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer."
"علينا أن نتعلم كيف ننظر إلى الناس لا بما يفعلون أو يهملون، بل بما يعانونه."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Human love has little regard for the truth. It makes the truth relative, since nothing, not even the truth, must come between it and the beloved person."
"قلما يعبأ الحب الإنساني بالحقيقة، فهو يجعلها نسب"
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"God's truth judges created things out of love, and Satan's truth judges them out of envy and hatred."
"حق الله يحكم المخلوقات بدافع الحب، وحق الشيطان يحكمها بدافع الحسد والكراهية."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy."
"الامتنان يحوّل آلام الذكرى إلى بهجة ساكنة."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons."
"فعل طاعة واحد خير من مائة خطبة."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one's heart. It means rather to find the way to God and to speak with him whether the heart is full or empty."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"If we are to pray aright perhaps it is quite necessary that we pray contrary to our own heart. Not what we want to pray is important but what God wants us to pray. The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer not the poverty of our heart."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"When our will wholeheartedly enters into the prayer of Christ then we pray correctly."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Temptations which accompany the working day will be conquered on the basis of the morning breakthrough to God. Decisions demanded by work become easier and simpler where they are made not in the fear of men but only in the sight of God. He wants to give us today the power which we need for our work."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"The entire day receives order and discipline when it acquires unity. This unity must be sought and found in morning prayer. The morning prayer determines the day."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"One's task is not to turn the world upside down but to do what is necessary at the given place and with a due consideration of reality."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Time is lost when we have not lived a full human life time unenriched by experience creative endeavor enjoyment and suffering."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"It is the characteristic excellence of the strong man that he can bring momentous issues to the fore and make a decision about them. The weak are always forced to decide between alternatives they have not chosen themselves."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Not in the flight of ideas, but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of the living."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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