--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...And then, just when everything is…" description: "\"...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_christmas_and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing_1559298.jpg" --- # ...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to… ![“...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault…” quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_christmas_and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing_1559298.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_christmas_and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing_1559298.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_christmas_and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing_1559298.jpg) > “...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all.” [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on how divine perspective can invert human judgments of good and evil, especially in times of suffering. **In simple terms:** God’s view can reverse our ideas of good and evil. Key Takeaway Seek divine insight when judging right and wrong. Themes faith perception spirituality Mood contemplative hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - theological study - personal crisis - ethical decision making Key Concepts theodicy moral relativism Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern true good in hardship? - What role does faith play in redefining evil? A Different Perspective Human suffering may not always be resolved by divine reinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Christmas message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas-message/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) ## Related quotes > [“At the paranormalist end, Jacques Vallée once famously remarked “just because a message comes from Heaven doesn’t mean it’s not stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-white/at-the-paranormalist-end-jacques-vall-e-once-famously-remarked-just/) [Gordon White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-white/) > [“if there’s one message that comes up again and again, it’s ‘Love conquers Fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocky-wood/if-there-s-one-message-that-comes-up-again-and-again-it-s-love/) Rocky Wood > [It struck him that how you spent Christmas was a message to the world about where you were in life, some indication of how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/it-struck-him-that-how-you-spent-christmas-was-a-message-to-the-world/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“Christianity does not agree with the optimistic thinkers who say, “We can fix things if we try hard enough.” Nor does it agree with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/christianity-does-not-agree-with-the-optimistic-thinkers-who-say-we/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [Our enemies believed America was weak and materialistic, that we would splinter in fear and selfishness. They were as wrong as they are evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/our-enemies-believed-america-was-weak-and-materialistic-that-we-would/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“This implies that the man did not know the difference between good and evil prior to eating the forbidden fruit. If that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcroberts/this-implies-that-the-man-did-not-know-the-difference-between-good/) [Steve McRoberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcroberts/) > [The world is not full of evil because of those who do wrong. It is full of evil because of those who do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-world-is-not-full-of-evil-because-of-those-who-do-wrong-it-is/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“There is a difference between what is wrong and what is evil. Evil is committed when clarity is taken away from what is clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hartung/there-is-a-difference-between-what-is-wrong-and-what-is-evil-evil-is/) John Hartung > [Our country right or wrong is an evil motto - what if your country be in the wrong? It will only compound her injury.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-greeley/our-country-right-or-wrong-is-an-evil-motto-what-if-your-country-be/) [Horace Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-greeley/) > [No hundred angels can save you,if you're doing wrong. And no hundred evil can destroy you, if you're doing good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-hundred-angels-can-save-you-if-you-re-doing-wrong-and-no-hundred/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is nothing in itself which is wrong or evil not even murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/there-is-nothing-in-itself-which-is-wrong-or-evil-not-even-murder/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [There's nothing wrong or evil about having a bad day. There's everything wrong with making others have to have it... with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cavuto/there-s-nothing-wrong-or-evil-about-having-a-bad-day-there-s/) [Neil Cavuto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cavuto/) > [“She had thought once that there were good people and bad people, that there was a side of light and a side of darkness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/she-had-thought-once-that-there-were-good-people-and-bad-people-that/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Do not be a people without a will of your own saying: If others treat well you will also treat well and if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prophet-muhammad/do-not-be-a-people-without-a-will-of-your-own-saying-if-others-treat/) [Prophet Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prophet-muhammad/) > [It is vain to trust in wrong; as much of evil, so much of loss, is the formula of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/it-is-vain-to-trust-in-wrong-as-much-of-evil-so-much-of-loss-is-the/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) ## More by Dietrich Bonhoeffer > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [...Gratitude transforms the torment of memory of good things now gone into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/gratitude-transforms-the-torment-of-memory-of-good-things-now-gone/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/only-he-who-believes-is-obedient-and-only-he-who-is-obedient-believes/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Who can really be faithful in great things if he has not learned to be faithful in the things of daily life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/who-can-really-be-faithful-in-great-things-if-he-has-not-learned-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“The church can only defend its own space by fighting, not for space, but for the salvation of the world. Otherwise the church becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-church-can-only-defend-its-own-space-by-fighting-not-for-space/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [There remains an experience of incomparable value . . . to see the great events of world history from below; from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/there-remains-an-experience-of-incomparable-value-to-see-the-great/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“To endure the cross is not a tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/to-endure-the-cross-is-not-a-tragedy-it-is-the-suffering-which-is-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“There is only one church, the church of faith ruled by the word of Jesus Christ alone. This is the true catholic church that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/there-is-only-one-church-the-church-of-faith-ruled-by-the-word-of/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“As Christians, we needn’t be at all ashamed of some impatience, longing, opposition to what is unnatural, and our full share of desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/as-christians-we-needn-t-be-at-all-ashamed-of-some-impatience-longing/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/those-who-love-their-dream-of-a-christian-community-more-than-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“From now on there can be no more wars of faith. The only way to overcome our enemy is by loving him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/from-now-on-there-can-be-no-more-wars-of-faith-the-only-way-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“The scriptures do not present us with a series of Christian types to be imitated according to choice; they preach to us in every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-scriptures-do-not-present-us-with-a-series-of-christian-types-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/we-are-not-to-simply-bandage-the-wounds-of-victims-beneath-the-wheels/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) [Explore all 711 Dietrich Bonhoeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## More Christmas quotes > [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-manning/i-once-bought-my-kids-a-set-of-batteries-for-christmas-with-a-note-on/) [Bernard Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-manning/) > [May you have the spirit of Christmas which is Peace, the gladness of Christmas which is Hope, and the Heart of Christmas which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-you-have-the-spirit-of-christmas-which-is-peace-the-gladness-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To my future children; you will know the true meaning of Christmas just not you get gifts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-my-future-children-you-will-know-the-true-meaning-of-christmas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-smith/no-sane-local-official-who-has-hung-up-an-empty-stocking-over-the/) [Al Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-smith/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Santa Claus has nothing to do with it," the latke said. "Christmas and Hanukah are completely different things." "But different things can often blend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/santa-claus-has-nothing-to-do-with-it-the-latke-said-christmas-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For Christmas one year I bought my son a BB gun. He bought me a t-shirt with a bulls eye on the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/for-christmas-one-year-i-bought-my-son-a-bb-gun-he-bought-me-a-t/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Heaven? Floating about with everyone you ever knew for eternity? Me family does me 'ed in after one day at xmas, I'd rather be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/heaven-floating-about-with-everyone-you-ever-knew-for-eternity-me/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Like everyone in his right mind, I feared Santa Claus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/like-everyone-in-his-right-mind-i-feared-santa-claus/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“I stopped keeping an eye out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve because, when I was five, my mother told me that Santa was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/i-stopped-keeping-an-eye-out-for-santa-claus-on-christmas-eve-because/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [On Hanukkah, the first dark night, Light yourself a candle bright. I'll you, if you will me invite To dance within that gentle light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gordon/on-hanukkah-the-first-dark-night-light-yourself-a-candle-bright-i-ll/) [Nick Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gordon/) [Browse all 5,100 Christmas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dietrich Bonhoeffer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing-down-on-us-to-such-an-extent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christmas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing-down-on-us-to-such-an-extent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_christmas_and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing_1559298.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_christmas_and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing_1559298.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_christmas_and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing_1559298.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it…” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dietrich Bonhoeffer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "...And then, just when everything is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing-down-on-us-to-such-an-extent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/and-then-just-when-everything-is-bearing-down-on-us-to-such-an-extent/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```