Against the Wind: Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof - Plough

Against the WindAfter a period of inner tensions – apparently unavoidable in Christiancommunity settlements – two of the Werkhof ’s founding members, Peter andAnni Mathis, left in the late summer of 1932, bound for the Rhön Bruderhof.Finally, Hans and Margrit Meier made the move to the Rhön as well, deprivingthe Werkhof of two more of its founders. The possibility of unity between the twocommunities, though seriously considered in the past, had shipwrecked.In light of these developments Ragaz’s question can well be understood. Theassumption behind it was not so far off the mark either. Even a reader withoutulterior motives could find much in the old Hutterites’ choice of words and formsof expression that sounds very exclusive. 2 Whether it is meant exclusively isanother question. In his enthusiasm for the old Hutterian writings Eberhard hadadopted a number of very emphatic terms that, without further explanation, werebound to lead to misunderstandings. For example, he often spoke of the Gemeindeas the “ark of the Last Days.” After a series of further misunderstandings Ragazlater countered with the comment that, for him, this ark had too many holes init. 3 First of all, however, he waited for a reply from the Rhön Bruderhof. It came intwo letters written March 9 and 11, 1933, in which Eberhard put it quite clearly:180When we are asked whether we…are God’s church, the Gemeinde, we have to say,“No, we are not. We are an object of God’s love, just like all other people, and we areunworthy, powerless, and unfit to follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings, to build upthe Gemeinde, or to go on mission into all the world.” But when we are asked, “Is thechurch of God among you? Does the church of God come to people where you are – isthe church of God there in the sense of the Holy Spirit, who is alone able to bring thechurch of God?” Then we have to answer, “Yes, that is so. Wherever believing peopleare gathered and have no other will than the one, single will that the kingdom of Godmay come and that the church of Christ may be revealed as the perfect unity of hisspirit – then the church is in every such place because the Holy Spirit is there.”This answer satisfied Ragaz at first. But the matter of the Werkhof, whichactually did not directly involve him, continued to nag at him. And Eberhard?In the following years he rigorously resisted any shadow of arrogance or elitismwithin the brotherhood. He continued to cultivate friendships and fellowship withChristians of the most varied beliefs and creeds. At a later opportunity Eberhardwould again make it unmistakably clear that “the witness of the communal lifeis one decisive witness in our day; this does not mean, however, that no otherwitnesses exist.” 4 Scarcely anyone else could express the earnestness of an inner