Saturday, October 9, 2010

Dietrich Bonhoeffer German Hero

Hello

I saw The Guardians Owl movie and Secretariat movie today.  Both were excellent.  I lived thru the triple crown winner, but it was still great to watch. 

Quote of the day:  " I don't appreciate people decorating their establishments with my friends"  what movie is this from????  Answer tomorrow

Dietrich Bonhoeffer born in Breslau, Germany 1906 became involved in a resistance movement to overthrow Hitler.  This led to his arrest by the Gestapo in 1943.  On April 9, 1945 he was hanged with several other resisters just weeks before Hitler committed suicide & Germany surrendered to the Allies.  Bonhoeffer proclaimed that Jesus alone is Lord and that loyalty to Hitler was idolatry.  Along with thousands of other pastors, he refused to accept the "Aryan Clause" that discriminated against anyone of Jewish descent.  It intrigues me that he dared stand up to Hitler, yet the newspapers, radio, and universities all yielded to his propaganda and intimidation -- only the Christ followers/Church had gumpshon to publicly defy the Nazi movement from within Germany.  I heard somewhere that Einstein was very disappointed and surprised that the universities and newspapers didn't speak out against Hitler and became his puppets so quickly once public opinion swayed in his direction.  Was Bonhoeffer brave or stupid?  I say brave for standing up for what he believed and speaking out against evil.  If life has meaning we must be here to DO something -- what is it????

As I said I was reading Solomon.  Solomon wanted to spare future generations the bitterness of learning through their own experience that life is meaningless apart from God.  I think he is right which is why I started this Blog and want to learn more about the wisdom God gave Solomon.  He lived around 1000 BC.  He shared much on his life looking back over the years lived apart from God.  I hate getting my bubbles burst by reality.  Like finding out your Easter Bunny is hollow.  Or thinking you won something and finding out you didn't.  Thinking someone loves you and finding out they don't. 

Here we go:

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher.  Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.  What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?  Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.  The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.  The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.  All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.  To the place the streams come from, there they return again.  All things are wearisome, more than one can say.  The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its full of hearing.  What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.  Is there anything of which one can say, Look! This is something new? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.  There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow. 

Analysis:  I come from a large family of 12 kids.  I was number 11.  Any other number 11s out there??  I remember many great times, but tough times as well.  When I was around 10 I remember asking God while in bed that if he was real please show me somehow.  Since he doesn't talk to us audibly.  Not til I was 19 did I finally find myself turning my life over to Jesus as my savior in the Philippines no less.  I should have died many times over, but I suppose God isn't done with me yet. I find Solomon comforting because he tried everything and had passed his wisdom to us so we don't have to make all the same mistakes he did.  I'll never be King or have 500 wives etc. but still know those things don't satisfy in the long run.  I can spend my limited time on earth doing hopefully the right things.  Till next time.  Hang in there and who is this from? "Good night and may God bless"  Answer in tomorrows entry.  If I forget someone remind me.

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