Everything Past and Everything Future

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 now depends entirely on all these things. A child has our life in his hands.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1940