Easter continues
Easter is not just one day for the Christian or the church. In the Lutheran tradition, Easter is 50 days, until Pentecost. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Take a look at this meditation from Bonhoeffer. This is how we live the life, realizing we are all simultaneously saints and sinners.
alone. It is possible that Christians may remain lonely in spite of daily worship together, prayer
together, and all their community through service - that the final breakthrough to community does not
occur precisely because they enjoy community with one another as pious believers, but not with one
another as those lacking piety, as sinners. For the pious community permits no one to be a sinner.
Hence all have to conceal their sins from themselves and from the community. We are not allowed to
be sinners. Many Christians would be unimaginably horrified if a real sinner were suddenly to turn up
among the pious. So we remain alone with our sin, trapped in lies and hypocrisy, for we are in fact
sinners.
Take a look at this meditation from Bonhoeffer. This is how we live the life, realizing we are all simultaneously saints and sinners.
The Pious Community
"Confess your sins to one another" (James 5:16). Those who remain alone with their evil are left utterlyalone. It is possible that Christians may remain lonely in spite of daily worship together, prayer
together, and all their community through service - that the final breakthrough to community does not
occur precisely because they enjoy community with one another as pious believers, but not with one
another as those lacking piety, as sinners. For the pious community permits no one to be a sinner.
Hence all have to conceal their sins from themselves and from the community. We are not allowed to
be sinners. Many Christians would be unimaginably horrified if a real sinner were suddenly to turn up
among the pious. So we remain alone with our sin, trapped in lies and hypocrisy, for we are in fact
sinners.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer -
from Life Together 108
from A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer Carla Barnhill, Ed., HarperSan Francisco, 2005
from Life Together 108
from A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer Carla Barnhill, Ed., HarperSan Francisco, 2005
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