The Rest of Karl Barth’s Answer to Dietrich Bonhoeffer

…with your splendid theological armor and your upright German figure, whould you not perhaps be almost a little ashamed as a man like Heinrich Vogel, who, wizened and worked up as he is, is just always there, waving his arms like a windmill and shouting “Confession! Confession!” in his own way–in power or in weakness, that doesn’t matter so much–actually giving his testimony?…Be glad that I do have you here in person, for I would let go at you urgently in a quite a different way, with the demand that you must now let go of all these intellectual flourishes and special considerations, however interesting they may be, and think of only one thing–that you are a German, that the house of your church is on fire, that you know enough and can say what you know well enough to help, and that you must return to your post by the next ship.  Given the situation, shall we shall the ship next after?

Please take it (this letter) in the friendly spirit in which it is intended.  If I were not so attached to you, I would not let you fly at you in this way.

With sincerer greetings,

Karl Barth