Text for the Month
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
In 2026 we mark the 120th anniversary of the birth of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His name is inseparably linked with courageous resistance, theological depth, and costly discipleship. We remember the prison letters, his involvement in the struggle against National Socialism, and his execution in 1945. Yet the courage for which he is known did not arise overnight. It was formed in earlier, quieter seasons - including during his time in London. From 1933 to 1935, as the Nazi regime consolidated power in Germany, Bonhoeffer served as pastor of two German-speaking congregations in London. What might have appeared to be a temporary pastoral assignment became a decisive period of theological clarification and international connection.
In London, Bonhoeffer experienced the church as a global, ecumenical community. Friendships with Anglican leaders, especially George Bell, later helped him advocate for the Confessing Church and reveal Germany’s realities abroad. He saw that the church could not be limited by national borders or politics. Living outside Germany gave him perspective, and as many Christians at home succumbed to nationalist pressure, he became convinced that allegiance to Christ must always surpass allegiance to the state.
The church’s calling was not to echo the voice of political power, but to remain faithful to the gospel - even when such faithfulness carried risk. His London years deepened his understanding of discipleship as concrete obedience. Faith was not just an abstract doctrine, but a lived
commitment. The Sermon on the Mount was not an ideal to admire, but a reality to embody. This conviction would later shape his leadership at the underground seminary in Finkenwalde and, ultimately, his readiness to act responsibly in a time of profound moral crisis.
One hundred and twenty years after his birth, Bonhoeffer’s London chapter reminds us that courage is cultivated long before it is required. Seasons of learning, listening, dialogue, and friendship prepare the ground for decisive action. In our own time - marked by polarization, fragile democracies, and renewed nationalism - his example encourages us to look beyond our immediate contexts. Building international partnerships, nurturing ecumenical trust, and grounding ourselves deeply in Christ are not secondary tasks. They shape the clarity and resilience we may one day need. As we remember Bonhoeffer this year, may we value our own seasons of preparation. And may we allow them to form us into people whose faith is thoughtful, whose hope is steadfast, and whose courage is rooted in Christ.
Sabrina Gröschel, Chaplain of the German YMCA in London