Karl Barth and the Love of God

Karl Barth is arguably one of the most influential Christian theologians of the 20th century. His Church Dogmatics has influenced professors all over the world. His sermons have blessed the church for decades.

In 1962, toward the end of his life, someone asked Barth to sum up the millions of words he had written about God. He replied quickly and simply: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” A great Christian thinker thought that a children’s song about the love of Jesus best described his complex theology.

The love of Jesus has a way of doing that. It sums up the complexities of life and gives us a reference point for navigating the complexities of life.  Many of us learned John 3:16 as a kid: “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Over our lives, we keep coming back to it over and over again. It has a way of anchoring us and directing us, even when things get complicated.

As you continue to navigate all the festivities of the holidays, remember what sums it all up. Everything about Christmas boils down to the love that God has for the world. It is a love that will anchor you. It is a love that will direct you. It is the love that inspired the very first Christmas.