Merry Christmas

A very Merry Christmas to all of you, my friends. I thought this sacred week would be a good time to take a break from intense discussions about the church and simply share something that helps us remember the wonder of God slipping into the world in infant form. To that end, here are two of my favorite quotes from Bonhoeffer. Have a blessed Christmas--
Fran

"We are talking about the birth of a child, not the revolutionary act of a strong man, not the breathtaking discovery of a sage, not the pious act of a saint. It really passes all understanding: The birth of a child is to bring the great turning around of all things, is to bring salvation and redemption to the whole human race. What kings and statesman, philosophers and artists, founders of all religions and moral teachers vainly strive for, now comes about through a newborn child."

"As if to shame the mightiest human efforts and achievements, a child is placed at the center of history. A child, born of humans: a son, given by God. That is the mystery of the world's redemption. Everything past and everything future is encompassed here. The infinite mercy of almighty God comes to us, condescends to us in the form of a child, his son. that this child has been born for us, that this son has been given, that this human child, this son of God, belongs to me; that I know him, have him, love him, that I am his and he is mine-- my very life depends entirely on these things. A child has our life in his hand."