Several years ago, I was deeply influenced by a biography I read with a friend about German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I am now a lifelong admirer of the man. When I heard about Laura Fabrycky’s new book, The Keys to Bonhoeffer’s Haus, I knew I needed to read it. And I chose to read and process it with the same friend who read the Bonhoeffer biography with me.
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For those unfamiliar with Bonhoeffer, he was a German pastor, theologian, and double agent involved in a plot to overthrow and attempt to assassinate Hitler. He would be arrested and hung in April, 1945 for his involvement. Despite growing up in a lively, loving, aristocratic home, he developed a heart for the poor and suffering, as well as a conviction that he couldn’t remain silent in the face of injustices toward his neighbors. “Civic and political housekeeping is what loving our neighbors looks like,” Fabrycky writes in her book.
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My own admiration for Dietrich Bonhoeffer grew when I learned how this man from a privileged background fell in love with Harlem and the Black church on his two trips to the US during World War II. Deeply moved by the perseverance he witnessed under great suffering, he wrestled with how he would bring the lessons he learned in New York back to those hurting in Germany during the war. I often think of him when we worship in Black churches in the Chicago area, resonating with his love and admiration for these people and institutions.
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As the wife of a foreign diplomat, Laura Fabrycky moved to Berlin in 2016 with her family. Her book offers fascinating glimpses into the life of a diplomat’s family and their adjustments to new places—and she takes us on her journey of discovering the Bonhoeffer Haus, Dietrich’s family home. Eventually, she would become a volunteer tour guide there and a student of Dietrich’s life.
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During that same time period, she watched the turbulence in her homeland with great concern as the news and social media showed escalating political divisions and vitriol. Researching Bonhoeffer’s life helped her process her own homeland’s incivility and choices while offering inspiration for living faithfully in turbulent times. Bonhoeffer’s life would inform her own.
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Her book is not partisan in its leanings, but she does guide readers to think deeply about our own civic engagement. While the author would be given physical keys to open the Bonhoeffer Haus for visitors, through the chapters in her book, she encourages us to each consider “keys” we have been given to places we care for and where we hold responsibility. I take her words to heart and highly recommend gathering a friend or two or three and reading this book together. Dietrich Bonhoeffer—and Laura Fabrycky—have important truths to share with us all.