The Hope of a Christian

She will always be

the most surprised,

the most affected,

the most apprehensive

and

the most joyful

in the face of events.

She won't be like

an ant that has foreseen everything

in advance,

but like a child in a forest,

or on Christmas Eve;

She is one who is always rightly astonished by events,

by the encounters and experiences

which overtake her,

and the cares and duties laid upon her.

Life in the world,

with all its joys and sorrows

and contemplation and activity,

will always be for her

a really interesting matter.

It will be an ADVENTURE,

for which she for her part

has ultimately and basically

no qualifications of her own.

And all this is not because

she doesn't know what it is all about,

but just because she does know.

She will always be at least willing

and ready to perceive the positive,

cooperate with it instead of

adopting an attitude of arrogance

and dissatisfied criticism.

Ultimately, she will always be thankful,

and in light of that thankfulness

she will always look forward to what

has still to come.

(Adapted from "Church Dogmatics" by Karl Barth)