The disciple simply burns his boats and goes ahead. He is called out, and has to forsake his old life in order that he may ‘exist’ in the strictest sense of the word. The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity (that is, in truth, into the absolute security and safety of the fellowship of Jesus), from a life that is observable and calculable (it is, in fact, quite incalculable) into a life where everything is unobservable and fortuitous (that is, into one which is necessary and calculable), out of the realm of the finite (which is in truth the infinite) into the realm of infinite possibilities (which is the one liberating reality).
A life of absolute insecurity: it is amazing how much we do to avoid this. Who wants to be a refugee?
6 comments:
This is very provacative. Thanks.
Where's the quote from? I assume it's a reference to the apocryphal story of the conquistador Cortés burning his own boats so as to remove the possibility of retreat.
Here's the story debunked. Though still makes a great image, even if it's fictional.
well it may just be an English translation of who knows what German phrase... Whatever the case, there is no way back to the safe harbour of the past.
We have to leave home.
The quote is from 'Discipleship': a book Bonhoeffer felt uneasy about later in life, it must be said.
As someone who recently left home in a big way, for the sake of the gospel, and who feels incredibly insecure and unsafe most of the time, I was hugely encouraged to stumble across this, this morning - thanks!
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