Life Together.

I've been on a Dietrich Bonhoeffer kick lately. Last weekend Sara Groves used a Bonhoeffer quote before launching into a song about injustice. And, one of the people I admire most in New York City, Eric Metaxas, is writing a biography on Bonhoeffer, due out later this Fall. And, those who've known me since my earliest years will recall my strange fascination with all things surrounding World War II (Corrie Ten Boom, Band of Brothers, London air raids, etc.).

I stumbled across this Bonhoeffer quote a few days ago, and found it worth sharing:

He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, not withstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship service, may still be left to their loneliness. The final break-through to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and as devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everyone must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sins, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we are sinners!

-From Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer