Christmas in Prison: Reading Bonhoeffer's Letters in Prison

In 1939 Bonhoeffer returned to Germany. At that time, under Nazi rule, Germany had begun to persecute dissidents and Jews. Just a month before Hitler was about to commit suicide, on April 9, 1945, Bonhoeffer was convicted of treason by the Nazi government and sentenced to death.

meaning and interpretation

Why is he coming back? He has left and has the option of going back or staying away from Germany for a while. But he came back and was imprisoned, tried, and killed for nothing. He may not have thought so much; but he certainly knew that, unless the entire Nazi regime was overthrown, his upright, unwilling personality might well be in danger. Going back to Germany, going back to a country that is not free, how much can you do? Can't you help your loved ones by staying in a foreign country? If we think this way, it doesn’t seem to matter whether we go back to our hometown or not, and it increases the risk to ourselves and our family and friends.

However, "if I could choose again" is Bonhoeffer's most hated sentence. In fact, we only live once in our lives, and what happened cannot be undone. Now that things have happened, all we can do is explain: explain things as meaningful. Otherwise, what should we do? What about the unreasonable, innocent suffering people with us?

As you must know, I have no regrets about returning to China in 1939. I know exactly what I'm doing and act with a clean conscience. I don't want to smear in my life anything that happened to me after returning home, either to the world as a whole or to me personally (Shosouf, East Prussia, Idar, my disease, all your help, in in Berlin, and my current imprisonment). I think my current jail time (you remember what I predicted in March last year was going to happen this year?) is a personal part of my destiny in Germany as a whole. I look back on the past with a clean heart and accept the present situation with the same spirit.

- December 22, 1943

Imprisoned Emotions (Christmas)

In the last three years of his life, Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and lost his freedom; even in prison, he continued to plan various matters, hoping that the assassination of Hitler outside would be successful, and that he could do his best in it. A meager amount of power. However, from our hindsight, all the plans to assassinate Hitler failed; the actions of Dunanyi, Bonhoeffer and others had little impact on the war situation.

Even with successive disappointments, he is still in action. In fact, the martyred warriors are just like us ordinary people. They will be lonely, afraid, and extremely depressed. In the letters he sent to his parents and friends, he wrote again and again: life in prison, like outside, is full of disappointment and hope, depression and happiness at the same time; therefore, there is no need to worry too much about his mental state. Is he just telling the other person? Or is he trying to convince himself?

Of course, you can't help thinking that I'm spending Christmas in prison, and that will inevitably cast a shadow over your joyous hour. But I want to assure you that I am sure you will observe the holiday in the same spirit as I, because we all agree on how Christmas should be observed. My attitude towards Christmas is all taught by you. Needless to say, how I look forward to being released and seeing you all. But over the years, you have given us many happy Christmases, with happy and beautiful memories, the brilliance of which is strong enough to illuminate this gloomy Christmas.

- December 17, 1943

hope

In biblical parlance, all those who have been taken captive by the enemy, by "evil", will one day be liberated together and set free again. Bonhoeffer looked toward that day, guarding hope in a difficult situation, waiting steadfastly. However, he himself was hanged by the enemy before he was released. If he had known that such an ending would come, could he still maintain hope and patience?

I often feel as if the best part of my life is over and all I have to do now is finish my ethics, and yet you know, when I think so, there is an unimaginable longing for me The hope that this life can leave a trace to future generations seems to be stronger in the Old Testament than in the New... If I could see you as a free man before you leave, that would be great what......

- December 15, 1943

As we puffed up our chests, dodging stray bullets and frontal artillery fire. We just want to close our hearts, like lifeless creatures, to prolong our existence. Hope is chasing us behind and pushing us forward. Despair is waiting ahead, hitting and hurting us again and again. We, marching forward in the same war, ran to the death, wounded with similar bodies.

Perhaps, we can meet again in war, as companions; perhaps, we can still look forward to seeing each other again, after the fall?