Against the Wind: Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof - Plough

Against the Wind
As for Eberhard’s parents, Elisabeth Arnold did not take her son’s announcement
very seriously at first. Carl Franklin Arnold would not seak of the matter until
several days later, and was then, as Eberhard put it, “more loving and patient
than I had ever expected.” His father’s reservations were mainly connected with
Eberhard’s university studies; he believed it would be out of the question for his
son to obtain permission to sit for the examinations if he were an “Anabaptist.”
Eberhard was confident that he could give his word to the von Hollanders
regarding his examinations. He took his father’s objections to mean that he could
not be prevented from taking his first theology examination as long as he had not
yet left the state church or received believer’s baptism. He did not mind postponing
baptism and separation from the church until after his exams. Emmy would not
make any promises about the date of her baptism. Both of them agreed to curb
their letter writing at least for the moment. They expressly avoided submitting
to the yearlong ban on visits, but did not want to oppose it directly. “Unless God
plainly shows us something else” was their constant reservation.
SEparation
“All appearances to the contrary, the way of complete obedience in faith must be
the best gift we can give our own families, too. Truth always has a redeeming and
healing effect – on the upright. All the more we want to pray for our loved ones
and be more loving than ever.” 6 Eberhard had written these words to Emmy before
the conflict and tension erupted. Soon, each of them would learn how difficult it
would be to maintain that love for their unsympathetic parents.
Emmy sent the second half of 1907 in a parson’s household in Brumby. She
had a good relationship with those in the parsonage, but it was not nearly as warmhearted
as it could have been. She was allowed – and she permitted herself – hardly
a moment’s rest. The parson’s wife sometimes found it embarrassing when Emmy,
in keeping with her nature, bubbled over in free expression of her love for Jesus.
Consequently Emmy felt she had to pretend to be different than she really was.
Occasionally, though, an exaserated phrase or two escaped her as she puzzled
over her parents’– particularly her father’s – attitude. Eberhard soon realized that
his otherwise happy “little blackbird” could no longer sing.
In reality, he was not faring much better. His longing to see his Emmy grew to
the point of becoming unbearable. Several times in his letters he had to confess
that he had been about to board the next train. More than once he let his mind
run over places and times for a rendezvous, only immediately to forbid either of
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