Bonhoeffer Calls Us to Action

Today we celebrate the feast day of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor who was, maybe most notably, an anti-Nazi dissident. He became a key member of the Confessing Church, which was a German Protestant movement that began during Nazi Germany as a way to practice Christian opposition to Hitler’s regime. The Confessing Church was specifically acting in opposition to the government’s attempts to draw together all of the Protestant churches into a single church body that was explicitly pro-Nazi.  Bonhoeffer was arrested in April 1943 and died by the death penalty in April 1945. In short: Bonhoeffer lived and died as a member of the Christian resistance to Nazi Germany.

Sometimes when I think of Bonhoeffer, I do something I tend to do with other parts of history that disturb me: I mentally distance myself from it to the extent that my mind envisions the events as being way, way back in history–further back than anyone I have ever known and loved could remember. However, as I write this, it hits me: my Paw Paw was born in 1910 and my Grandmere was born in 1920. So then, this seemingly way, way back history inches closer as I realize both of my grandparents shared time on this earth with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Both of my grandparents lived during the time of Nazi Germany.  knew this intellectually, but spiritually this truth needs to inch closer to how I understand my proximity to the reality of what has come before.

One of the things I find most notable about Bonhoeffer is that he took action. In a world of sharing and liking online posts and then considering them “my activism for the day,” of which I am personally quite guilty, there’s something incredibly powerful about the witness of the saints, especially Bonhoeffer. Because he didn’t just say things were wrong, he–like Jesus–let his belief become incarnate. He let his dedication to God’s justice result in him putting his own life at risk.  

Here in 2025, as I realize how close I really am to Nazi Germany’s history, I find myself asking a question that I imagine led Bonhoeffer into the very actions that made him a saint we remember:

What am I supposed to do, actually DO, in the world to help others who are suffering? 
How do I move past performative action and like/share activism toward something more like the resistance I see in Bonhoeffer?

The problem with this question is that it can quickly become overwhelming, and when I am overwhelmed, I often become so frozen in that overwhelm that I never take the next right step I hoped for. I feel so overwhelmed I don’t do anything at all, even as I desperately want to change that.

So today I’m going to offer some ideas for small things we can all do to participate in the resistance, in ways that would work for solo individuals as well as families. While I’m letting this become a personal list for myself, I also envision it as being something that is hopefully accessible to children and families who are trying to figure out ways to participate in resistance work without as much of the overwhelm that can incapacitate us.

1. Join your local library. If you already have a library card, take a minute to learn everything your library offers and see if it supplies any resources that could support you and others in your community.  I know this might seem small, but it’s not as small as you might think!  First, resisting difficult powers in the world doesn’t require giving up our joy! If you’re thinking, “But that’s actually fun?” Good! When you support your library, you not only receive the joy of trying new books and other media, but you also make sure that those resources remain accessible to the other people around you who need them. Libraries serve as incredible resource hubs for people who are struggling, so keeping them open is a really big deal!
2. Visit a museum or two in your community! Museums are a great way to learn, especially if you or someone from your family prefers visual learning over reading books.  By visiting or joining, you also support this institute in your community, which serves as a place for empowering others through knowledge. I’m guilty of bopping through a museum and not learning as much as I could, so I’ll add: take some time when you visit to learn what you can. The adage is true: knowledge is power!  You might consider specifically looking at museums that interest you and that align with where you feel most called to participate in the resistance. For instance, if your family feels especially burdened by environmental concerns, check out a local natural science museum. If you live in a museum desert, the American Museum of Natural History offers loads of online resources like interactive games, stories, and videos. No matter what you are focused on, if your community has a civil rights museum, that’s a perfect place to visit to learn more about what those before us (Saints like Bonhoeffer) have done to help contribute to justice in the world. Again: it’s okay if this is fun–we don’t have to remove fun from our lives to work for justice!
3. Make a list of historical sites in your community and visit them. Have you ever seen those old, tarnished, often barely-readable-while-driving signs that tell you something is a historical site? Consider making a list of historical sites from your community and visit them to learn about the different pieces of history that have happened in your backyard. You might be surprised how much just knowing your backyard history can inspire you toward action. In a group setting, such as a youth group, you could even do a Historical Site bingo card, scavenger hunt, or “pilgrimage” to these sites. We don’t have to rack up big bills on travel to learn more about history; every single place has a history that we can learn about and be empowered by. Bonus: the National Parks Services makes locating these sites incredibly easy with their online database of Registered Historic Places.
4. Make a list of parks in your community to learn about and visit. Similar to historical sites, what if you started learning more about the parks in your area?  Many parks are starting to have their own community gardens, so you might even discover a resource in your backyard that could help feed your family or that you could support through your own volunteered time. To take it a step further, see if you can sign up for any city park events because you never know what cool events might be happening at those parks that would be fun for your family and give you one more way to participate in your neighborhood.
5. Meet your geographical neighbors. Why is this important? Well, with weather-related challenges running more rampant, it’s more important than ever to actually know each other in our geographical communities.  Sure, your best friend who lives across town loves you and wants to help, but what happens when there’s a flash flood warning and nobody can drive to you? It’s good to have people nearby who you can help and who can also help you in a time of sudden danger. This might seem like the one that takes you most out of your comfort zone, and I get it. However, there are plenty of ways to get to know your geographical neighbors without risking your safety or too much awkwardness. For one, if you’re going to start going to the library more (see #1!), consider visiting the one that is closest to you geographically. If you start attending events there (did you know many libraries now offer yoga?!), you’ll be more likely to be hanging out with people geographically closer to you than others. The same is true for visiting local parks (see #4!) because if your kids start playing with other kids from your local park, there’s a higher likelihood that you and your family now have a new contact in your neighborhood.  
6. Volunteer somewhere in your neighborhood or with your church.  I know sometimes my gut says that if I’m going to do something, I need to start it from scratch, but that mindset alone can burn us out quickly and lead to non-action. Instead, don’t be afraid to reach for the lower-hanging fruit like already-established ministries and support efforts. We do not need to reinvent the wheel; local groups have often been doing this for many years and have great systems in place. If we can just give our open hearts and time, these groups will know exactly how to put us to work with just that as our offering. Try to find something close to you geographically–again so you can connect with your neighbors–but don’t let that discourage you from seeking any ministry or aid opportunity that truly calls to you and your family. There are tons of ways for us to help out and they are all good!

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list.  In fact, it’s only meant to get us–or should I say, me–some next right steps toward participating in the world in the way I believe God is calling us to do so. I hope this might help you, individually or with your family, find your very own God-guided next right steps to help heal this broken and beautiful world in front of us.