Bonhoeffer #1
by Michael Doyle

It's a boyhood hope for invincibility
Suddenly cloaked in feigned invisibility,
A game is on for "catch me if you can".
These were the ways of Dietrich as a young man.

His older brother goes off to fight the war.
As a younger brother, he wondered what for.
This was especially true as he was buried.
This is the weight of war too many have carried.

Walter's Song was played in his memory
At the wake that was held for friends and family.
Bequeathed from the brother was the Bible's wisdom.
Walter had underlined words worthy of the Kingdom.

This old, worn Bible would guide him through life,
In the moments of peace and years of strife.
Comfort was found in the words that he read.
It was as if Walter lived on, despite being dead.

Not every church established requires a steeple.
These are kept by the Word of God, loved by the people.
New York was just such a place to live,
And a young theologian found that it had a lot to give.

Caught up in the layers within the razzmatazz,
You haven't heard music until you've felt jazz.
There's something to the bounce of this melodic thing,
God wouldn't want you to hear it and not start to sing. 

In Harlem, the Abyssinian Choir sang its harmonized tale,
And Dietrich learned there was a way of God in this gospel.
The music caused the people to move with the spirit.
It's the snap of the pop if you ever care to hear it.

God is found everywhere that we are.
Jesus is with His people, no matter how far.
It's up to us to taste and know that the Lord is good.
Be it Dixie Jubilation or conservatory, it's understood.

You have to live bravely for the fullness of glory,
That provides the merciful details of the story.
Everywhere around there is work to be done.
Freedom is the cause of the Father and the Son.

Dietrich learned another side of theology.
It is found when and where life turns ugly.
Anger often comes from hurt and fear.
It is up to us to keep God near.

The lessons of life are the messages of God discerned.
When we walk in darkness and evil, much is learned.
Angels whisper in ears about God's helping plan,
Until one by one, there is redemption for man.

Hate, they say, is in every color known.
It's a tragedy, repetitively shown.
It comes from the seeds of discontent sown.
The worst is self-inflicted and homegrown.

(c) February 4, 2026   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved