I hate contention; I will challenge no one; in return I wish not to be challenged; but, being challenged, I will not be dumb in the cause of Christ my Master.
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
Therefore, Leo, my Father, beware of listening to those sirens who make you out to be not simply a man, but partly a god, so that you can command and require whatever you will. It will not happen so, nor will you prevail. You are the servant of servants, and more than any other man, in a most pitiable and perilous position. Let not those men deceive you who pretend that you are lord of the world; who will not allow any one to be a Christian without your authority; who babble of your having power over heaven, hell, and purgatory. These men are your enemies and are seeking your soul to destroy it, as Isaiah says, "My people, they that call thee blessed are themselves deceiving thee." They are in error who raise you above councils and the universal Church; they are in error who attribute to you alone the right of interpreting Scripture. All these men are seeking to set up their own impieties in the Church under your name, and alas! Satan has gained much through them in the time of your predecessors.
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one.
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
It is clear then that to a Christian man his faith suffices for everything, and that he has no need of works for justification. But if he has no need of works, neither has he need of the law; and if he has no need of the law, he is certainly free from the law, and the saying is true, "The law is not made for a righteous man" (1 Tim. i. 9). This is that Christian liberty, our faith, the effect of which is, not that we should be careless or lead a bad life, but that no one should need the law or works for justification and salvation.
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
These works, however, must not be done with any notion that by them a man can be justified before God--for faith, which alone is righteousness before God, will not bear with this false notion--but solely with this purpose: that the body may be brought into subjection, and be purified from its evil lusts, so that our eyes may be turned only to purging away those lusts.
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
True, then, are these two sayings: "Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works"; "Bad works do not make a bad man, but a bad man does bad works."
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
Wherefore, when any man is made good or bad, this does not arise from his works, but from his faith or unbelief,
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
For such a Father, then, who has overwhelmed me with these inestimable riches of His, why should I not freely, cheerfully, and with my whole heart, and from voluntary zeal, do all that I know will be pleasing to Him and acceptable in His sight? I will therefore give myself as a sort of Christ, to my neighbour, as Christ has given Himself to me; and will do nothing in this life except what I see will be needful, advantageous, and wholesome for my neighbour, since by faith I abound in all good things in Christ.
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
Thus our doings, life, and being, in works and ceremonies, are done from the necessities of this life, and with the motive of governing our bodies; but yet we are not justified by these things, but by the faith of the Son of God.
Concerning Christian Liberty
Martin Luther
we had put our faith in a simple idea: If we made something that we wanted to see, others would want to see it, too.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
What interested me was not that companies rose and fell or that the landscape continually shifted as technology changed but that the leaders of these companies seemed so focused on the competition that they never developed any deep introspection about other destructive forces that were at work.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
I began to see my role as a leader more clearly. I would devote myself to learning how to build not just a successful company but a sustainable creative culture.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
since the Walt Disney Company acquired Pixar in 2006—has been to enable our people to do their best work. We start from the presumption that our people are talented and want to contribute. We accept that, without meaning to, our company is stifling that talent in myriad unseen ways. Finally, we try to identify those impediments and fix them.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
my job as a manager is to create a fertile environment, keep it healthy, and watch for the things that undermine it. I believe, to my core, that everybody has the potential to be creative—whatever form that creativity takes—and that to encourage such development is a noble thing.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Always take a chance on better, even if it seems threatening.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Deming’s approach—and Toyota’s, too—gave ownership of and responsibility for a product’s quality to the people who were most involved in its creation.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
You don’t have to ask permission to take responsibility.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
How could we enable the talents of these people, keep them happy, and not let the inevitable complexities that come with any collaborative endeavor undo us along the way?
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Talented storytellers had found a way to make viewers care, and the evolution of this storyline made it abundantly clear to me: If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they will screw it up. If you give a mediocre idea to a brilliant team, they will either fix it or throw it away and come up with something better.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Getting the right people and the right chemistry is more important than getting the right idea.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
To me, the answer should be obvious: Ideas come from people. Therefore, people are more important than ideas.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
To reiterate, it is the focus on people—their work habits, their talents, their values—that is absolutely central to any creative venture.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Find, develop, and support good people, and they in turn will find, develop, and own good ideas.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
To ensure quality, then, excellence must be an earned word, attributed by others to us, not proclaimed by us about ourselves.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
A good note says what is wrong, what is missing, what isn’t clear, what makes no sense. A good note is offered at a timely moment, not too late to fix the problem. A good note doesn’t make demands; it doesn’t even have to include a proposed fix. But if it does, that fix is offered only to illustrate a potential solution, not to prescribe an answer. Most of all, though, a good note is specific.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Ask yourself what happens when an error is discovered. Do people shut down and turn inward, instead of coming together to untangle the causes of problems that might be avoided going forward? Is the question being asked: Whose fault was this? If so, your culture is one that vilifies failure. Failure is difficult enough without it being compounded by the search for a scapegoat.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
But I should caution that if you seek to plot out all your moves before you make them—if you put your faith in slow, deliberative planning in the hopes it will spare you failure down the line—well, you’re deluding yourself.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
While experimentation is scary to many, I would argue that we should be far more terrified of the opposite approach.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The goal, then, is to uncouple fear and failure—to create an environment in which making mistakes doesn’t strike terror into your employees’ hearts.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The antidote to fear is trust,
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Discussing the thought processes behind solutions aims the focus on the solutions, not on second-guessing. When we are honest, people know it.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The key is to view conflict as essential, because that’s how we know the best ideas will be tested and survive.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Negative feedback may be fun, but it is far less brave than endorsing something unproven and providing room for it to grow.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The silver lining of a major meltdown is that it gives managers a chance to send clear signals to employees about the company’s values, which inform the role each individual should expect to play.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
There is nothing quite as effective, when it comes to shutting down alternative viewpoints, as being convinced you are right.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
But to be truly humble, those leaders must first understand how many of the factors that shape their lives and businesses are—and will always be—out of sight.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The most creative people are willing to work in the shadow of uncertainty.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Craft is what we are expected to know; art is the unexpected use of our craft.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
the demand for resources is literally bottomless. Unless you impose limits, people will always justify spending more time and more money by saying, “We’re just trying to make a better movie.” This occurs not because people are greedy or wasteful but because they care about their particular part of the film and don’t necessarily have a clear view of how it fits into the whole. They believe that investing more is the only way to succeed.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
I want to add an important side note: that artists have learned to employ these ways of seeing does not mean they don’t also see what we see. They do. They just see more because they’ve learned how to turn off their minds’ tendency to jump to conclusions.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The attempt to avoid failure, in other words, makes failure more likely.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
“The real issue is not how do you find your voice, but … getting rid of the damn thing.”
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Andrew likens the director’s job to that of a ship captain, out in the middle of the ocean, with a crew that’s depending on him to make land. The director’s job is to say, “Land is that way.” Maybe land actually is that way and maybe it isn’t, but Andrew says that if you don’t have somebody choosing a course—pointing their finger toward that spot there, on the horizon—then the ship goes nowhere.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Unleashing creativity requires that we loosen the controls, accept risk, trust our colleagues, work to clear the path for them, and pay attention to anything that creates fear. Doing all these things won’t necessarily make the job of managing a creative culture easier. But ease isn’t the goal; excellence is.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
If you get the team right, chances are that they’ll get the ideas right.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
When looking to hire people, give their potential to grow more weight than their current skill level. What they will be capable of tomorrow is more important than what they can do today.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
It isn’t enough merely to be open to ideas from others. Engaging the collective brainpower of the people you work with is an active, ongoing process. As a manager, you must coax ideas out of your staff and constantly push them to contribute.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
There is nothing quite as effective, when it comes to shutting down alternative viewpoints, as being convinced you are right.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The first conclusions we draw from our successes and failures are typically wrong. Measuring the outcome without evaluating the process is deceiving.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Do not fall for the illusion that by preventing errors, you won’t have errors to fix. The truth is, the cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Change and uncertainty are part of life. Our job is not to resist them but to build the capability to recover when unexpected events occur. If you don’t always try to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature, you will be ill prepared to lead.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
it is not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It is the manager’s job to make it safe to take them.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Failure isn’t a necessary evil. In fact, it isn’t evil at all. It is a necessary consequence of doing something new.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Trust doesn’t mean that you trust that someone won’t screw up—it means you trust them even when they do screw up.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The people ultimately responsible for implementing a plan must be empowered to make decisions when things go wrong, even before getting approval. Finding and fixing problems is everybody’s job. Anyone should be able to stop the production line.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The desire for everything to run smoothly is a false goal—it leads to measuring people by the mistakes they make rather than by their ability to solve problems.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Don’t wait for things to be perfect before you share them with others. Show early and show often. It’ll be pretty when we get there, but it won’t be pretty along the way. And that’s as it should be.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
A company’s communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Excellence, quality, and good should be earned words, attributed by others to us, not proclaimed by us about ourselves.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Belgae are the bravest, because they are farthest from the civilisation and refinement of [our] Province, and merchants least frequently resort to them and import those things which tend to effeminate the mind;
"De Bello Gallico" and Other Commentaries
Julius Caesar
that after destroying the hope of a return home, they might be the more ready for undergoing all dangers.
"De Bello Gallico" and Other Commentaries
Julius Caesar
What did Jesus want to say to us? What does he want from us today? How does he help us to be faithful Christians today? It is not ultimately important to us what this or that church leader wants. Rather, we want to know what Jesus wants.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus’ commandment is harsh, inhumanly harsh for someone who resists it. Jesus’ commandment is gentle and not difficult for someone who willingly accepts it.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus’ commandment never wishes to destroy life, but rather to preserve, strengthen, and heal life.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
So the Christian need not follow Christ, since the Christian is comforted by grace! That is cheap grace as justification of sin, but not justification of the contrite sinner who turns away from sin and repents. It is not forgiveness of sin which separates those who sinned from sin. Cheap grace is that grace which we bestow on ourselves.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Costly grace is the hidden treasure in the field, for the sake of which people go and sell with joy everything they have.[5] [31]It is the costly pearl, for whose price the merchant sells all that he has;[6] it is Christ’s sovereignty, for the sake of which you tear out an eye if it causes you to stumble.[7] It is the call of Jesus Christ which causes a disciple to leave his nets and follow him.[8]
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It is costly, because it calls to discipleship; it is grace, because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly, because it costs people their lives; it is grace, because it thereby makes them live. It is costly, because it condemns sin; it is grace, because it justifies the sinner. Above all, grace is costly, because it was costly to God, because it costs God the life of God’s Son—“you were bought with a price”[10]—and because nothing can be cheap to us which is costly to God.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
[34]God showed him through scripture that discipleship is not the meritorious achievement of individuals, but a divine commandment to all Christians.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
That means that knowledge cannot be separated from the existence in which it was acquired.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Only those who in following Christ leave everything they have can stand and say that they are justified solely by grace. They recognize the call to discipleship itself as grace and grace as that call. But those who want to use this grace to excuse themselves from discipleship are deceiving themselves.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Grace as a principle, pecca fortiter as a principle, cheap grace—all these are finally only a new law, which neither helps nor liberates. [40]Grace as a living word, pecca fortiter as comfort in a time of despair and a call to discipleship, costly grace alone is pure grace, which really forgives sins and liberates the sinner.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It could not happen any other way but that possessing cheap grace would mislead weaklings to suddenly feel strong,[40] yet in reality, they had lost their power for obedience and discipleship.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The word of cheap grace has ruined more Christians than any commandment about works.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus calls to discipleship, not as a teacher and a role model, but as the Christ, the Son of God.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Those called leave everything they have, not in order to do something valuable. Instead, they do it simply for the sake of the call itself, because otherwise they could not walk behind Jesus.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The first disciple took the initiative to follow Jesus. He was not called, and Jesus’ answer shows the enthusiastic man that he does not know what he is doing.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
When Jesus himself calls, however, he overcomes the widest gap. The second disciple wants to bury his father before he follows Jesus. The law obliges him.[9] He knows what he wants to do and has to do. First he has to fulfill the law; then he will follow. Here a clear command of the law stands between the one called and Jesus. Jesus’ call forcefully challenges this gap. [49]Under no circumstances is anything permitted to come between Jesus and the one called, even that which is greatest and holiest, even the law.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
He wants to join Jesus, but at the same time he himself puts something in the way between himself and Jesus: “Let me first.” He wants to follow, but he wants to set his own conditions for following. Discipleship is a possibility for him, whose implementation requires fulfilling conditions and prerequisites.[11] This makes discipleship something humanly reasonable and comprehensible.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
only the believers obey, and only the obedient believe.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
First there is faith, then obedience.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Because we are justified by faith, faith and obedience have to be distinguished. But their division must never destroy their unity, which lies in the reality that faith exists only in obedience, is never without obedience. [53]Faith is only faith in deeds of obedience.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Christ has to have called; the step can be taken only at his word. This call is his grace, which calls us out of death into the new life of obedience. But now that Christ has called, Peter has to get out of the boat to come to Christ.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
You complain that you cannot believe? No one should be surprised that they cannot come to believe so long as, in deliberate disobedience, they flee or reject some aspect of Jesus’ commandment.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
[56]You do not want to subject some sinful passion, an enmity, a hope, your life plans, or your reason to Jesus’ commandment? Do not be surprised that you do not receive the Holy Spirit, that you cannot pray, that your prayer for faith remains empty! Instead, go and be reconciled with your sister or brother;[24] let go of the sin which keeps you captive; and you will be able to believe again! If you reject God’s commanding word, you will not receive God’s gracious word. How would you expect to find community while you intentionally withdraw from it at some point? The disobedient cannot believe; only the obedient believe.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It is an evil excuse to point from inadequate obedience to inadequate faith, and from inadequate faith to inadequate obedience.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Unbelief feeds on cheap grace, because it clings to disobedience.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Ethical conflict is the primordial ethical phenomenon for human beings after the fall. It is the human revolt against God. The serpent in paradise put this conflict into the heart of the first human. [62]“Did God say?”[32]
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Only the devil has a solution to offer to ethical conflicts. It is this: keep asking questions, so that you are free from having to obey.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
[63]Only the obedient deed is to be taken seriously. It ends and destroys the conflict and frees us to become children of God.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
He knows the commandment; he has kept it, but he thinks that it could not be the whole will of God.[33] Something else has to be added, something extraordinary, unique. He desires to do that. God’s revealed commandment is incomplete, the young man says in his final flight away from the true commandment, in his last attempt to retain his autonomy and to decide good and evil on his own.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
him.[35] The young man asked about his path to eternal life. Jesus answered: I am calling you, that is all.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Being a neighbor is not a qualification of someone else; it is their claim on me, nothing else. At every moment, in every situation I am the one required to act, to be obedient. There is literally no time left to ask about someone else’s qualification.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
[70]The main concern is not whether or not I have any worldly goods, but that I should possess goods as if I did not possess them, and inwardly I should be free of them.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Nothing finally depends on any human deed at all; instead, everything depends on faith in Jesus as the Son of God and the mediator. Nothing finally depends on poverty or riches, marriage or the single state, having or leaving a profession. Rather, everything depends on faith.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Suffering and being rejected are not the same. Even in his suffering Jesus could have been the celebrated Christ. Indeed, the entire compassion and admiration of the world could focus on the suffering. Looked upon as something tragic, the suffering could in itself convey its own value, its own honor and dignity. But Jesus is the Christ who was rejected in his suffering.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Following him is not something that is self-evident, even among the disciples. [79]No one can be forced, no one can even be expected to follow him. Rather, “if any” intend to follow him, despite any other offers they may get.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Self-denial means knowing only Christ, no longer knowing oneself. It means no longer seeing oneself, only him who is going ahead, no longer seeing the way which is too difficult for us. Self-denial says only: he is going ahead; hold fast to him.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The cross is neither misfortune nor harsh fate. Instead, it is that suffering which comes from our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone. The cross is not random suffering, but necessary suffering. The cross is not suffering that stems from natural existence; it is suffering that comes from being Christian. The essence of the cross is not suffering alone; it is suffering and being rejected.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Suffering is distance from God. That is why someone who is in communion with God cannot suffer.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Christ makes everyone he calls into an individual. Each is called alone. Each must follow alone. Out of fear of such aloneness, a human being seeks safety in the people and things around them. Individuals suddenly discover all their responsibilities and cling to them.
Discipleship: DBW 4 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer