Dietrich Bonhoeffer was ’n Duitse Luterse predikant. Bonhoeffer is daarvan beskuldig dat hy geassosieer is met die komplot van 20 Julie 1944 om Adolf Hitler te vermoor en is saam met ander beskuldigdes verhoor. Hy is op 9 April 1945 gehang.
Was dit reg van Bonhoeffer om deel te hê aan die beplande sluipmoord op Hitler?
Toe Robert Mugabe, president van Zimbabwe, die land in die grond in bestuur het en grootskaalse armoede veroorsaak het, het ons tussen vriende gepraat en gesê dat iemand net vir Mugabe ‘n loodpil moet gee. Dit sal baie dinge baie beter maak. Ek dink ons sou gejuig het indien iemand dit wel gedoen het, maar ek was nie bereid om dit self te doen nie. ‘n Mens kan redeneer dat dit sou wees om reg in eie hande te neem.
Die betekenis van “reg in eie hande neem” is: “Om iemand te straf volgens jou eie idee van geregtigheid, sonder inagneming van die rol van wetstoepassers.”
Persoonlik is ek nie ‘n wetstoepasser nie, maar veronderstel ek was die president van Suid-Afrika, sou dit verkeerd wees om Mugabe te gaan uithaal? Natuurlik as laaste uitweg, nadat alle gesprekke op niks uitgeloop het nie.
Amerika het dit met Saddam Hussein gedoen.
‘n Ander manier om daarna te kyk is: gaan dit oor straf of gaan dit om ander te beskerm? Wou Bonhoeffer vir Hitler straf, of wou hy onskuldige mense se lewens red?
Veronderstel iemand kaap ‘n vliegtuig in vlug en pyl op ‘n gebou af, sou dit reg in eie hande wees indien ek hom sou doodmaak om die passasiers van die vliegtuig te red?
Kyk ook
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Wikipedia)
Aanhalings
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed – in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical – and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for when dealing with a stupid person than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison)
“We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison)
“There is nothing that can replace the absence of someone dear to us, and one should not even attempt to do so. One must simply hold out and endure it. At first that sounds very hard, but at the same time it is also a great comfort. For to the extent the emptiness truly remains unfilled one remains connected to the other person through it. It is wrong to say that God fills the emptiness. God in no way fills it but much more leaves it precisely unfilled and thus helps us preserve — even in pain — the authentic relationship. Further more, the more beautiful and full the remembrances, the more difficult the separation. But gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as a thorn but as a precious gift deep within, a hidden treasure of which one can always be certain.”
Daar is niks wat die afwesigheid van ’n dierbare, kan vervang nie, en ’n mens moet dit nie eens probeer nie. ’n Mens moet dit eenvoudig uithou en verduur. Aanvanklik klink dit baie moeilik, maar terselfdertyd is dit ook ’n groot troos, want vir sover die leegheid ongevul bly, bly ’n mens daardeur verbonde aan die ander persoon. Dit is verkeerd om te sê dat God die leegheid vul. God vul dit geensins nie, maar veel meer laat dit presies ongevul en help ons – selfs in pyn – om die outentieke verhouding te bewaar. Verder, hoe mooier en voller die herinneringe, hoe moeiliker is die skeiding. Maar dankbaarheid verander die kwelling van die geheue in stille vreugde. ’n Mens dra die lieflike in die verlede nie as ’n doring nie, maar as ’n kosbare geskenk diep binne, ’n verborge skat waarvan jy altyd seker kan wees.
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
Om stil te bly in die aangesig van die bose is self boos; God sal ons nie onskuldig verklaar nie. Om nie te praat nie, ís om te praat. Om nie op te tree nie, ís om op te tree.