Here are three quotes from the book, “Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The first is an excerpt from the other two. I want to discuss this idea of “no immediate access to one another”. That Bonhoeffer presented.

I have enormous respect and veneration for Bonhoeffer. Mostly because his writings have confirmed for me, indeed put into words things that God has been teaching me throughout my life. But my foundation is not upon my own experience, nor the word of man, but rather, upon the word of God.

One such question is “Why be obedient?”

Read through the following quotes and then I shall see if I have any thoughts to share, and will enter them afterwards (below)

Then, if you would, please email me your thoughts to walkingdownvimy@gmail.com

Within the spiritual community there is never, nor in any way, any “immediate” relationship of one to another, whereas human community expresses a profound, elemental, human desire for community, for immediate contact with other human souls

Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Perhaps the contrast between spiritual and human reality can be made most clear in the following observation: Within the spiritual community there is never, nor in any way, any “immediate” relationship of one to another, whereas human community expresses a profound, elemental, human desire for community, for immediate contact with other human souls, just as in the flesh there is the urge for physical merger with other flesh. Such desire of the human soul seeks a complete fusion of I and Thou, whether this occur in the union of love or, what is after all the same thing, in the forcing of another person into one’s sphere of power and influence. Here is where the humanly strong person is in his element, securing for himself the admiration, the love, or the fear of the weak. Here human ties, suggestions, and bonds are everything, and in the immediate community of souls we have reflected the distorted image of everything that is originally and solely peculiar to community mediated through Christ.

Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Thus there is such a thing as human absorption. It appears in all the forms of conversion wherever the superior power of one person is consciously or unconsciously misused to influence profoundly and draw into his spell another individual or a whole community. Here one soul operates directly upon another soul. The weak have been overcome by the strong, the resistance of the weak has broken down under the influence of another person. He has been overpowered, but not won over by the thing itself. This becomes evident as soon as the demand is made that he throw himself into the cause itself, independently of the person to whom he is bound, or possibly in opposition to this person. Here is where the humanly converted person breaks down and thus makes it evident that his conversion was effected, not by the Holy Spirit, but by a man, and therefore has no stability.

Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Here are my comments so far.

Lately I’ve been wrestling with something, and have scripture to consider along with it. Our response to God’s word is faith. And that faith leads us into relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 11:6

It is not an intellectual assent as A.W. Tozer referred to it. It is obedience to his call to lay our life down and to follow him.

The only guarantee is salvation

1 Peter 1: the goal of our faith…

What I mean is… salvation is not a means to an end. Our salvation is the END. Are use the word “and” as we hear it in the term “end justifies the means”. This is a term which I became quite familiar with when reading such authors as Abraham Maslow, Carl Jung, etc. so rather than me trying to come up with the definition of it I will Google it stay here don’t go away I’ll be right back LOL!

“the end justifies the means” definition: 1. said about a situation in which the final aim is so important that any way of achieving it is acceptable

Cambridge

Our relationship with God is primary. Our relationship with one another, is through him. His love for each of us is equal.

The one thing I wonder at uttering is the idea that God has limited himself… by making certain things up to us! Such as loving one another, and loving this world as He loves it.

But GOD knows what he’s doing!

“The Great Gatsby” has come to my mind this morning. I was in absolute awe as I read that book. And let me always add, by “read” I mean “listened to an audiobook of” 🤨 I want you to read it!!! I don’t want to ROB you if it’s impact by my trivializing summary! It’s pure prose! With an absolutely incredible impact!

Those verses in Ephesians come to mind..

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Ephesians 3:10-11

Do I know you? Who does?

Let’s suppose we’ve met, you and I. And my contention is that I know you.

“You don’t know me.”

“You thought you knew me.”

But what about those songs that make the claim… “I know you” or to be more emphatic, “I know you better than you know yourself” ?

I’ve found myself praying for a particular person the last few weeks maybe, I can’t place a time that it began. And as I use that person for my muse this morning…

Oh, my, isn’t that telling?

To treat another person so abstractly.

But I’m aware of this… I didn’t choose her for my muse. From the history of me, I know it’s about my being an intercessor. And that part of that is that it’s the Holy Spirit’s work in me, as much as in her. I have two daughters. This one is a daughter of someone else. Precious and preserved.

She made comment the other day about herself… when I said I had nothing specific to say to her but only encouragement… she said that’s probably a good thing, because she doesn’t like advice, although even there, I feel afraid to suppose I could quote her.

I would like to talk with her sometime soon… and they’d all be questions.

I’ve read so much these last few years. At times I feel that I have few to talk to about it all. One topic in particular interests me:

Shoulds
Oughts

There’s a start…

But also, “Specific advice”. Who likes that? I’m not being rhetorical when I ask. Think about who likes advice, and who seeks advice.

A book I read very early on in my life was “Daring To Draw Near” a book by John White. He used the prayers of the bible as his text(s)

And the one thing of many I retain from that is that God initiates with us… and our response is prayer… he engages us… most often I find that I have felt guilt and accused myself of rebelliousness… when it actually might be God challenging me to prayer, intercessory prayer… is God pissed off with the church? I am… which church? The false one… the one that crowds out Christ and the Holy Spirit

The other part of the claim “to know” is to OWN a person. We’ve heard this term used ultra negative in its meaning. “I own you!” And “He got owned!”

I was fascinated when I read in “Towards a Psychology of Being” Abraham Maslow, about what he called a scoptophiliac

That “knowing” can unconsciously mean domination, mastery, control, and perhaps even contempt, can be seen also from the scoptophiliac, who can feel some sense of power over the naked women he peeps at, as if his eyes were an instrument of domination that he could use for raping. In this sense, most men are peeping Toms and stare boldly at women, undressing them with their eyes. The biblical use of the word “knowing” as identical with sexual “knowing” is another use of the metaphor.

“Towards a Psychology of Being”

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ‭‭John‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭ESV

John 1:5

That word “overcome” is the English word that the ESV translators chose

Outline of Biblical Usage:

καταλαμβάνω

Transliteration: katalambano

1. to lay hold of
   1. to lay hold of so as to make one’s own, to obtain, attain to, to make one’s own, to take into one’s self, appropriate
   2. to seize upon, take possession of
      1. of evils overtaking one, of the last day overtaking the wicked with destruction, of a demon about to torment one
      2. in a good sense, of Christ by his holy power and influence laying hold of the human mind and will, in order to prompt and govern it
   3. to detect, catch
   4. to lay hold of with the mind
      1. to understand, perceive, learn, comprehend

“But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people”‬‬

John 2:24

What does that mean, “to entrust himself” to them?

Another question comes to mind as I muse along… Who owned who? Abraham and Isaac.

Isaac was the fulfilment of the promise God made to Abraham… and God asked Abraham to sacrifice him… up on that mountain, who owned who? And when they came down again, who owned who?

IDK when but… what I saw in that story is that God loved Abraham, jealously, there is a rotten connotation of the word “use”, it’s a terrible thing to find you ears realizing, “I got used” a means to an end…

My own story contains something about what I see today about the Abraham, Isaac, and mountain sacrifice story. When I was growing up or rather during my first marriage, LOL, I worked my way through different jobs. One of those jobs was working in a research unit of the health sciences centre in Winnipeg Manitoba. It was a “Day treatment” program of the child psychiatric ward. They were researching interventions with pervasive developmental disorder, which is what now a days is known as ASD – Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Years later, in my second marriage we came to have a child who would eventually be diagnosed with a exactly that same disorder. My 5th born son, Ashton. Incidentally, I told him the other day that I did not think of him as Autistic, I thought of him as Ashton, God’s unique creation with many things in common with Autism. He knew what I meant. And he thanked me. A label is a De-humanizing thing to put upon a person. Abraham Maslow is where I first read about the idea of regarding someone abstractly. you only see up to a certain point about a person, decide that you know them, categorize them rank them whether on a piece of paper or simply in your mind, and you cease to see them for who they truly are. As I pondered and mused about Ashton over the years I wondered at, in awe of God’s fore knowledge. He knew by his grace, and had me trained for the job I would do.

I couldn’t understand it until I realized that God had prepared Ashton’s FATHER for Ashton’s sake!

But God had a plan for me, also! And a plan for my son! They are intertwined and yet quite separate.

These are crucial questions for us as parents. We need to make our daughters aware of those boyz who would like to conquer them… and have them for a trophy on their wall, like a stuffed sheep’s head on the plate, with an apple in its mouth. We need to train our sons for equal treachery from girls who would “use” them… oh, do we? Isn’t that teaching them to FEAR? Why not model a good man for your daughters so that they recognize a snake, because he’s not like her Dad! Why not model a good Daddy to your sons so that know what footsteps to follow?

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Model Christ himself and they will long for Christ! And recognize him in others! We are eternal beings! Bought with a price!

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 11:1

I saw sometime else just now… a discarded, crushed, extra large McDonalds coffee cup… stripped of its sticker, at the side of the road

I once upon a time saw a neat little pile of cigarette butts and shredded paper… no tobacco… just the husks

I saw the pile of corn husks, the hungry Red Ants, the twitching dog laying at their feet, and the rosey cheeked child on the old man’s lap, beside his shanty composed of discarded or stolen aluminum culverts… I was in Guatemala at the time, and this baby and her grandfather were on the NoMan’s land of the railway right-of-way, their home made out of bits and pieces of other things that he’d repurposed… but the thing that brought tears to my eyes is this. That child wasn’t paying the price for where they lived. She was warm, safe, clean and healthy, on God’s lap!

Women of the Bible to look into:

Hagar: she got “used” and the as discarded. But God went to her, after she’d left him a little ways off… left him to die. God went to her and what did HE say? Take a look at what God’s word to Abraham about it!

The daughters of Korah

Abigale

Estger

Ruth

Mary

Elizabeth

Sarah

Then there’s Bonhoeffer’s “we have no immediate access to one another, only in and through Christ” ponder that!

Smiling feathers flew past me on a blissful day as I lay on fluffy green sheets of grass

Oh, my thoughts are neither near nor far and there is only perfect peace

As the smiling feathers fall all around from Keleki’s Womb!

I wish I could have snapped a photo, it’s just that I was driving at 80 km at the time, on a busy Hwy 99… right in the middle of the fast lane of Hwy 99 was an upside down fruit/vegetable cardboard box… and it looked worried😆

The “handle hole” like a wide open mouth-frown, and the air holes like wide eyed stare of a horrified animal

As I pondered a certain thought, I saw them there in the casket,

Those clothes

Arms folded on the chest, shoulders bunched a little bit close to each other,

Buttoned up, empty, and clean, yet nonetheless bore the marks of having been worn before

As I peered in at them, I leaned in to put them on,

But they would not yield to my touch,

They would not allow me to grasp them

But I did feel a pull

As though they would pull me into them!

I felt them pulling me down into the grave

I pulled away…

Meanwhile my life passed me by, with all of its demands that I at times obeyed, at times resisted, and at times succumbed to

Then, one day, as though awakened from a dreamy sleep, I found myself dressed in those same clothes I once tried to grasp, and once tried to allude

These clothes are now on my shoulders, their creases are my creases, their folds rippling along my arms, chest and legs

It’s me, we’re one and the same, every bit me, yet not at all

My eye caught the sight of the casket… and to my calm surprise I saw my past resemblance laying there

How I could be two, how I could be laying there, and standing here, that alludes me still

But you will excuse me now… I have dragons to slay, and horses to ride…

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,”

Hebrews 10:24

There’s a difference between “spur one another on” and minding each other’s business

David Guzik:

Forsaking the assembling of ourselves together: Forsaking fellowship is a sure way to give place to discouragement. This festers where God’s people are not exhorting one another.

i. Many go to church if they feel they “need it” at the time. But our motivation for fellowship must be to obey God and to give to others. We can go to church looking to encourage someone who needs to hang in there against a tide of discouragement.

ii. “Christian exhortation means the expression of our hearts to others to urge them to continue on the Christian path. It may include testimony, and often will necessitate warning.” (Newell)

c. So much the more as you see the Day approaching: As the Day of Jesus’ return draws nearer, we should be more committed to the fellowship of God’s people, the assembling of ourselves together.

This what I want to say this morning…

But as I wrote, I kept getting interrupted with Scripture! So wonderful!

I know God is speaking to me, when he backs up what he is saying through his well established written word, being brought to my mind.

Today’s message came to me as I was meditating on the message and scriptures quoted in a little book published by Pastor H H Barber, “Comfort”

In the text commentaries available in the Blue Letter Bible App, there is one fellow I’ve come to really appreciate, his name is David Guzik. The following is part of his commentary on 1 Corinthians 15.

Most of us are so concerned about living comfortable lives here on earth that our lives give no evidence of the resurrection.

David Guzik

This word about seeking comfortable lives caught my attention because of a word my wife received during our virtual home group Bible study. About not being satisfied with being comfortable.

God, I pray that you will help me to tie all of these scriptures (quoted below) into one coherent message.

The underlying bedrock fact is that God’s word is The Authority. The not so obvious is that hearing the word not only puts me in a position to be saved from the blindness that comes from complacency, but it also stands on its own as a witness of God’s faithfulness to each and everyone of us who hear it.

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”

John 12:46-48

Think of the scenario where I awaken in a dark cave, seeking to escape. I need light! God’s word is that light, given through obedient, loving brothers and sisters in Christ! The light being turned on, I now have the choice to consider my steps. I can ignore this message, and stay in the cave, or I can submit to this message, allowing God lead me out!

One day I will be standing in God’s presence, and held accountable. God’s faithfulness is absolute to us all! None of us can say, “nobody told me?!?”

How can that be? The Message of the gospel is alive! Jesus is alive, The Holy Spirit is our teacher and reminder!

Let’s break out of the imagery of poetry into the open air of the real world! Our response to God’s word to us is always, prayer. The opposite of hardening my heart, is to listen, and obey it,

[words of Jesus] “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

John 14:26

“So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,”

Hebrews 3:7-8

“God I hear you, I know your word is true, I know that since I hear this message, it’s to save me! Oh, Father God, forgive me, Lord, heal me, open my eyes, in Jesus name I pray, Amen”

To walk away from this message I receive today, I will be like the dog returning I his vomit, like the fool who returns to his folly.

“Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

Proverbs 26:11-12

Is ours a society of narcissists? Are we not in love with ourselves. Surely the best way to “sell” anything is to appeal to how it will benefit the buyer.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

Proverbs 14:12 ESV

In Revelation 12 we read about the Dragon, the poetic image is of Satan, and the scenario is that he is seeking to destroy, but “they” triumphed over him! Who are THEY do you think?

“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Revelation 12:11 NIV

They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness. They weren’t in love with themselves; they were willing to die for Christ.

Revelation 12:11 The Message

Are you complacent? Are you comfortable? Or is there a gnawing anxiety inside of you? Could that anxiety be nothing less than God’s Holy Spirit calling out to you?

What is complacency?

What do you have to lose? Call out to God!

“Oh, God, I need your clarity! I need you to teach me in a way that I can understand! I need you Lord to shred these ropes that have me bound, and helpless. Save me, in the name of Jesus Christ, your son, Amen

Brutally aware of what codependency is all about, I need to contend with what the following two quotes DO NOT mean, so that those who would benefit from them won’t go astray. The counterfeit and the true currency are nearly identical. One is worth the whole, the other wholly worthless.

A river doesn’t need water, and others benefiting from its wet, do not deplete it. When a tree casts its fruit, the consumption of it does nothing to deplete the tree.

If your gift to the world depletes you, is it good? If you give away what you yourself need to survive, then soon you and the one you are ‘helping’ will both be in need of help.

But also, my wife and children, and parents, are my primary responsibility. The needs of others are blessed by the overflow. My wife, Cheryl and my son, Ashton, reach out the world around us united in our hearts and effort.

The one who suffers the consequences of their own actions are said to be ‘paying their own price’ and they will therefore tally up the credits and debits and learn to be frugal. No need to be frugal with the resources of another person, for their are millions of people to leach from.

Abraham Maslow “Towards a Psychology of Being” says that only one who has truly come to know and understand themselves. You have to be selfish before you can transcend that same self.

The Bible says,

“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ That is Matthew chapter 22 verse 39, the verses before it holds the vital key,

“Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”

That’s what Bonhoeffer and Pope Francis are talking about.

Nothing in nature lives for itself. The rivers do not drink their own water; the trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other. No matter how difficult it is…Life is good when you are happy; but much better when others are happy because of you.

Pope Francis

Fruit is always the miraculous, the created; it is never the result of willing, but always a growth. The fruit of the Spirit is a gift of God, and only He can produce it. They who bear it know as little about it as the tree knows of its fruit. They know only the power of Him on whom their life depends —

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Cost of Discipleship”

Expectations:

1) To know him

2) To take hold of THAT

– “that” is that which he took a hold of me for

I have the “gift or curse” of musing disconnected from my cognitive ability to understand and to be deeply impacted by the overall ministry of the Holy Spirit.

John 2:1-5

The miracle of the water to wine. Jesus made a choice that day, he knew the road he was put on earth to walk. He referred to this when he answered his mother,

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:1-5

There is a series available on YouTube called, The Chosen. This first miracle of Jesus is depicted in Episode 5. There is an introduction to the video that you can fast forward through if you want, but watch it.

The jars that are to be used to make the wine, are the ceremonial washing Jars. Wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Also, it is a symbol of the Blood of Christ. Washing with water alludes to the law.

When Jesus chose to turn that water into wine, he chose to begin his “time” on earth.

Try reading the Gospel of John and make note of the choices Jesus made. The reason ‘why’ he did what he did. What are those reasons, if there is more than one? Why did Jesus behave the way he did?

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:7-10

So this part of the verse is what I must grapple with: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered”

Really? Jesus learned obedience?!?

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 1 Peter 4:1.

I’ve enjoyed talking with an honest thinker today.

My response is to cease sounding like I’ve got it all figured out, and admit my own spiritual and moral poverty instead. But these scriptures are clues the message God has put on my heart. These scriptures I present to you, to ponder, and pray about.

¹¹ And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelation 12:11

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. John 2:23-25

What does it mean, “ But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them” ?

Back to John’s Gospel, 

How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? John 5:44

I struggled for quite a while with this notion that it’s OK to seek the Glory that comes from God. What is pleasing to God?

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

1) believes that he exists

2) that he is a rewarder

of them that earnestly (diligently) seek him

The following scripture tells me what to do with worries about my needs on earth. The whole chapter is summed up in the final two verses.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34

This quote came to mind:

Abraham Maslow “Towards a Psychology of Being”

I go much further, and am convinced that knowledge and action are frequently synonymous, even identical in the Socratic fashion. Where we know fully and completely, suitable action follows automatically and reflexly. Choices are then made without conflict and with full spontaneity.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12 NIV