Bonhoeffer on the Incarnation

Bonhoeffer on the Incarnation

Opening up an old book, written by Lutheran theologian, pastor and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, (p. 341), reminded me again of Jesus’ love for each one of us and his solidarity with humankind as the Incarnate One, and through him, our solidarity with the whole human race too—a rather countercultural perspective, given our very divided, hostile, war-driven, individualistic, consumer-oriented world.

And in the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God. Henceforth, any attack even on the least of men [and women] is an attack on Christ, who took the form of man, and in his own Person restored the image of God in all that bears a human form. Through fellowship and communion with the incarnate Lord, we recover our true humanity, and at the same time we are delivered from that individualism which is the consequence of sin, and retrieve our solidarity with the whole human race.